


Alternate Path

by OpheliaAlexiou



Category: Star Wars, Star Wars: Rebellion Era - All Media Types
Genre: Anal Sex, Attempt at humour, Ballroom Dancing, Bisexuality, Biting, Consensual Enslavement, Consensual Humiliation, Consensual Kink, Consensual Sex, Corsetry, Costume Parties & Masquerades, Danger, Discipline, Doggy Style, Dom/sub, Erotica, Exhibitionism, Explicit Language, Explicit Sexual Content, F/M, Female Antagonist, Fluff, Fluff and Humour, Foursome - F/M/M/M, Frottage, Gay Sex, Gen, Gentleness, Healing, Healing Sex, Homosexuality, Humiliation, Humour, Implied/Referenced Rape/Non-con, Killing, Kink, Light Masochism, Light Sadism, M/M, Male Antagonist, Male Homosexuality, Male Protagonist, Male Slash, Masks, Master/Pet, Master/Slave, Mentor-Student Friendship, Mentorship, Non-Sexual Slavery, Obedience, Obscure Canon Civilization(s), Oral Fixation, Oral Sex, Orphans, Ownership, POV Alternating, POV Antagonist, POV Female Character, POV Male Character, POV Third Person, POV Villain, Peril, Punishment, Romance, Romantic Fluff, Rough Sex, SGR, Safe Sane and Consensual, Same-Gender Romance, Scratching, Sensual Play, Sensuality, Sex, Sexual Content, Sexual Slavery, Sith, Situational Humiliation, Slavery, Some humour, Spanking, Threesome - F/M/M, Threesome - M/M/M, Verbal Humiliation, Violence, Voyeurism, erotic humiliation, light sadomasochism, male bisexuality, mentoring, rebellion era
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-12-25
Updated: 2016-01-21
Packaged: 2018-05-09 08:22:01
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 20
Words: 120,377
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5532389
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/OpheliaAlexiou/pseuds/OpheliaAlexiou
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A story about two Force-sensitive young men in love, one Human and one Bpfassh, as well as new friends and a mysterious mentor.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This first chapter is from the POV of the chief secondary character, an examination of how she comes to be on Bpfassh and how she meets the boys who become her pupils in learning the ways of the Force and the path of the light side of the Force.

**CHAPTER ONE:** _Chance Discovery_

Kazenna’s ship wasn’t particularly subtle by itself, but she’d modified the hell out of the shuttle that was practically universally associated with the Jedi Order. Her personal T-6 shuttle no longer flew the red-and-white of the Republic of yesteryear; it was no longer weaponless and it now bore the best stealth engines she could steal and Force Persuade some engineer to install. She had of course paid them in the one thing that mattered most: security; they got no money from it, but they would also never remember having been helpful to the once-Jedi. The sensor mask was imperfect, of course; you could look out a window and see the damn shuttle, but only if you were actually close enough for that to be possible: one thing there was plenty of in space, was… well, space. There was, also, the complicating factor of her quarry: a pair of Sith inquisitors in service to Palpatine’s Empire; a pair of humans, naturally, by the names of Tamar and Dumas. A less natural pair if you ever saw one, the zabrak thought to herself, argumentative toward one another, feeding off the mutual agitation and annoyance, both angling for that coveted Darth status.

 

Across seven worlds, Kazenna had tracked them, narrowed the distance, crept nearer and nearer like an apex predator, all stealth and cunning, caution and precision. The shuttle had been painted black and spangled in white dots, making it harder to spot in the darkness of the star-spangled black of the cosmic void. It was only her own poor fortune when an imperial frigate had dropped out of hyperspace right beside her and a handful of imperial storm troopers reported seeing something through a damned window. The result of that report was a broad-spectrum attack that revealed her position by throwing her into the planetary atmosphere just as the inquisitors were landing.

 

“Not exactly a delicate landing,” Kazenna said after using the Force to throw open the cockpit window of the ruined repurposed transit shuttle and leaping out. As she turned to look at it, she shook her head, before she turned her head sharply as her own senses forewarned of impending peril. The inquisitors had learned of her presence; combined with their own sensitivity, were aware a Force-user was here and were coming to investigate the shuttle. For the time being, at least, she was going to be stuck on Bpfassh, until she was able to discover a way to get off the planet without having to fight through an imperial blockade; undetected and, more importantly, still breathing. Gear checked, she was swift in vacating the crash site, a fair gap separating her from the nearest city, and her outfit certainly wouldn’t prove to be a hindrance, what with the hooded cloak look being so popular these days.

 

Bpfassh was a world of primarily arid wasteland, which provided precious little room to hide but abundant room for her to manoeuvre in. One of the shuttle’s small speeders had survived the crash-landing, fortunately, the other one had been damaged beyond repair, and if she were especially lucky, they would think it the only one. That would mean the two inquisitors would waste precious time scanning the nearby desert for signs of a dead pilot having stumbled out of the plane and wandering off to die alone in the deserts of the arid world. It was night on this part of the planet, which naturally helped her cause; by the time they found the ship, it was past midnight in that region and she was long gone. Now it was a matter of getting the inquisitors to separate, avoiding direct confrontations with the storm troopers that were all the bloody hell over the place, and then taking out the inquisitors separately. A skilled assassin could manage that easily enough, but she was no assassin; Kazenna was, however, every bit as predatory as a jungle cat, though how useful a jungle cat would be on a desert planet, only time would tell.

 

It proved easy enough, at least, for her to track down the part of town where the Empire not only wasn’t, but was least welcomed. For all their bluster, the Empire’s local military presence at least was watered down: perhaps Bpfassh was not seen as altogether threatening or maybe it was low-priority. Or perhaps a populous desert planet wasn’t something the Empire really wanted to fight over if it could avoid it, and so it had a limited garrison that wouldn’t be able to keep a presence in force both on the ground and in orbit at the same time. Orbit was preferential, anyway, clearer angles to fire on and no having to deal with the … _balmy_ … local climate, to which fortunately Kazenna herself was acclimated. She laid low for a day or so then tracked down the inquisitors, still operating as a damned duet and now on high alert, but she was yet the stealthier of the three. Just as they thought she was in one direction, she moved, and the men found themselves looking anywhere but her, until she convinced them it was in their best interest to split up to cover greater area and attempt a coordinated pincer. It was the opening she was looking for, as she vacated the entire area and then withdrew, playing cat-and-mouse with them for the entire day. On the second day, that was when they split up exactly as she wanted them to, while she watched from far enough away that her stealth maintained her secrecy.

 

“Such predictable little mice,” she mused to herself as she watched the distant, tiny shapes on the ground moving off in opposite directions, from the roof. Her cloak fluttered as she hurried into motion, moving to trail above and behind the larger of the pair, the one called Dumas, an imposing figure a shade over one hundred ninety-three centimetres tall and one hundred and nine burly kilograms of angry, narrow-minded muscle. For a few hours, she waited cautiously, inching nearer and nearer, senses keenly aware of the distance that now separated Tamar and Dumas, even if they were able to make contact across it they were, now, still more than two kilometres from each other. Worse yet, they were in an unfamiliar city’s complicated infrastructure surrounded by an unfriendly and resentful populace who would not get in their way, but wouldn’t really do anything altogether helpful, either.

 

Finally, she descended from the rooftops, swooping down like an eagle descending upon her prey, using the Force to control her assault vector. As she closed within a hundred feet, Dumas halted in place, squinted, his dark hazel irises scanning left and right, forward and backward, as he felt her approach. Nearer, nearer, as she slid weapons from their holsters, but didn’t activate them immediately and give away her position with noise. He wheeled, the hum of a bright red lightsaber whirring through the air as she dropped to the ground in a braced crouch behind him. It would’ve been in front of him if he’d not whirled around, but he wasn’t expecting to be attacked from the front: risk of being a Sith, she supposed, always expecting the knife in the back and not in the chest. He froze as his senses resonated with her presence, turning around and freezing in surprise as he saw her standing in front of him, and he immediately started to raise his weapon. Even as he did, she swept forward, phrik-and-light sai humming through the air as she caught his blade and trapped it in three bands of shimmering blue the shade of the sky on a clear winter morning. A heartbeat’s breadth later, male irises widened as a second sparkle of incandescent blue the matched that of the sai came across in an arc, scorching a path through the narrowest part of his body, separating head from shoulders in the process.

 

Even as his knees went weak and muscles slack, his lightsaber fell to the ground with a metallic clank and deactivated, followed a second later by the heavy thunk of a man’s head hitting the pavement. A downside to this whole thing, of course, was the unfortunate fact that the inquisitors had ordered a methodical search by teams of storm troopers. Her own personal unluckiness continued, as an entire platoon of them rounded a corner right as she was beheading one of the two inquisitors in the system, and she had to wheel to face them as they opened fire.

 

“Duck, you fools,” she shouted at the civilians nearby, some of whom literally flung themselves to the ground virtually instantaneously while others fled through doors into buildings or into alleyways. Sai and saber hummed in the air as she flowed gracefully against the tide of fire coming from two and a half dozen white-armoured enemies. Four blades whirred and buzzed, as she deflected more bolts into the sky than toward her attackers, mainly to ensure no risk of an accidental hit against a civilian. Even so, she closed the distance between herself and her attackers, deflected attacks dropping their number from thirty to twenty-two as she crossed from forty metres to three. Amongst them, her fighting style shone, whirling and carving simultaneously as the zabrak avoided their fire and cut them down, the last of them lasting long enough for Tamar to catch sight of her.

 

An impressive figure with her hood back, Kazenna had almond-coloured skin accented by a long ponytail of brownish-black hair and tattoos in black ink in the traditions of her people and an impressive set of horns. She stood one hundred eighty and a third centimetres and a fraction over ninety-seven and a half kilograms, taut musculature concealed by a mass of clothes and a cloak that continued to flutter in the wind that whipped down the city boulevard. Tamar gazed at her, incredulous and infuriated, and thenceforth empowered, though he maintained the condescending confidence of one on the side with more firepower. She was, in truth, currently stranded on a planet not her own which happened to be occupied by a hostile force, and Kazenna certainly couldn’t kill every imperial soldier on the planet and on every ship in orbit.

 

“Oh, look. A _Jedi_ ,” mocked Tamar, his overconfidence practically palpable in the air.

 

“I haven’t seen a Jedi in years, inquisitor,” she answered casually, soliciting a blink and a faintly surprised expression, “I was fairly certain your ilk killed them all. If I were a Jedi, you’d know it, though I suppose you think you already do, since you’re so confident I am one.” She knew it was banter, she knew he had undoubtedly summoned some sort of reinforcement, she’d never known a Sith to fight fair. Kazenna had more tricks in her sleeve than the average Jedi tricks he would expect of her. She had achieved the rank of Jedi Master, before the fall of the Jedi Order, it was true, but she had diversified herself since then and no longer considered herself as one of the Jedi Order, anymore.

 

“Oh, really?” came the expected challenge, as he motioned callously toward all the dead storm troopers and a headless fellow inquisitor lying somewhere a good distance from the white-armoured troopers, “Then why kill my friends?”

 

“Sith don’t have friends, and if you think you do, you’re deluding yourself,” she answered with a smirking chortle of unmasked amusement, then teased him in response, “I will grace you with an answer, however.”

 

“Do tell,” he said with an expression that was deadpan but for an eyebrow twitch.

 

“I killed your fellow inquisitor because, very simply, he was an asshole. His ex-girlfriend offered a handsome reward for verifiable news of his untimely demise,” she answered with a blatant and unabashed lie. While it was of course an absolute possibility that he might have had an ex-girlfriend out there somewhere who would be pleased to hear about his unfortunate beheading, she certainly wouldn’t have had any way to know of it. The fact that she lied straight to his face, however, caught Dumas off-guard and he blinked at her in consternation, eyebrows furrowing for a moment.

 

“… Dumas didn’t have a girlfriend,” he said bluntly, his anger at the death of his verbal sparring-mate slowly starting to bubble over composure borne of overconfidence. At his assurance, she turned her head faintly, looking past him to where the corpse of Dumas lay in two separate pieces, one admittedly quite a bit smaller than the other piece was.

 

“Not anymore, anyway,” she retorted with a smirk, as she looked back at him. His eyes narrowed at her in response, a clear indicator of increasing annoyance at least. As he glowered at her, she leaned back a bit and laughed heartily at his displeasure and irritation, further confounding his confidence the zabrak woman was a Jedi. Few, admittedly, had ever heard a Jedi bust out laughing, however, at a Sith inquisitor or otherwise.

 

“All right, then, tell me who you are, so I know what to put on your tombstone!” growled the inquisitor as he lunged forward, launching a bolt of force lightning in her direction in a brilliant, angry scarlet colour. Her sai whirled in the air for a moment as she spun it and deactivated it at the same time, holstering it before her freed hand rose sharply in the direction of the bolt. She channeled her amusement and self-satisfaction into the discipline of tutaminis, and simply absorbed the power that he had thrown at her, a shimmering aura of blue forming at the point of impact as she did so. Even as he thrust his second hand into the assault, striking with all of his might, she continued to absorb his rage with her amusement, channeling the power absorbed into the power absorbing. He finally ceased, his breathing heavier and a few faint beads of sweat visible upon his brow, as he glowered hatefully at her casual snicker. Tamar was smaller, by a noticeable margin, than the pale-skinned Dumas; a tan-skinned man brown of hair and eye, he was a comparably modest one hundred sixty-seven and two-thirds centimetres and slightly more than seventy-two and a half kilograms.

 

“For a non-Jedi, you are impressively trained in the Force,” growled the inquisitor, “you have, however, met far more than your match in me, and your training will not save you.” His power surged with hate as he struck again, though this time she launched herself forward, racing toward him at maximum haste, using her own abilities to move her out of the path of incoming bolts. He launched strike after strike at her, backpedaling as he realized she was now becoming perilously close while still attempting to continue throwing his lightning at her. Even as he raged, she laughed loudly and freely as she swept toward him, long-handled lightsaber held out to one side as she approached until he was forced into a vacant alleyway. Finally, his back hit a wall, and her light-sai hit him, puncturing in three places and scorching hollows in both him and the wall immediately behind him, though the latter in only one place.

 

“You draw power only from cruelty and malice, like every Sith weakling,” she said as she brought her light-sai up to cut him through vital organs that would include bisecting the heart, to ensure the death of her enemy. Once irreparable harm had been inflicted, she turned her head as she heard the unmistakable sound of gunfire anew, nearby, and what were unquestionably fresh applications of the Force. She whirled and raced up the alleyway back to the street she had recently vacated, whereon she was met with an… unexpected surprise.


	2. Assistance Unsought

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Shane and N'Haru meet Kazenna, and then, soon thereafter, discover a way to leave the planet... eventually.

At the explosion of sound nearby, gunfire that could come only from imperial soldiers, a pale head rose sharply from where it was. An intimate act interrupted, two youthful frames clothed themselves quickly, one with a complexion of bone-like grey-white and the other of apricot. The lighter of the two had the darker hair, true-black with irises of dark blue, standing at one hundred seventy-five and a quarter centimetres and eighty-three and nine-tenths kilograms, with his hair in an elbow-length ponytail. His human companion, slightly his junior if only by a few months, was a shade taller at a hundred seventy-seven and eight-tenths centimetres with a well-muscled weight of ninety and three-quarter kilograms. His hair was shorter and lighter, a mess of vivid red that however much he combed it, refused all attempts at styling, and eyes of a rich shade of ao green. Once clothed, eighteen-year-old and his months-older darker-haired lover moved with a faint rush to collect their weapons, smuggled like everything else they owned but still in working order.

 

“I wonder who they’re shooting at,” said the nineteen-year-old Bpfassh as he holstered his black-marketed Tof Soren slug-thrower and loaded his smuggled DC-17 heavy blaster pistol.

 

“I have no clue, N’Haru,” answered the youthful eighteen-year-old human a couple metres away, “but whoever they’re shooting at, we can bet they probably don’t deserve it.” Even as they strapped on and buckled into the familiar suits of smuggled armour, the ‘blast-dampening armour’ made by Creshaldyne Industries, they heard the shooting stop and the sound of voices in the street outside. Even as everyone else was taking cover and hiding to avoid the fight, the two young men took cover with their heavy blaster pistols in-hand, peering cautiously around the wall and out the window. The human’s green eyes narrowed as he watched someone dual wielding a lightsaber and something decidedly not a saber pressing an inquisitor into an alleyway, hearing the sound of heavily-armoured boots rushing in their direction. A new platoon of white-armoured storm troopers thundered around the corner at a rushed pace, skidding to a halt and surveying the collection of dead bodies as they looked for the enemy they’d been summoned to fight, or the one who’d summoned them to battle.

 

“What do you want to do?”

 

“T3,” the redhead replied, and N’Haru nodded, reaching over and opening the door on the other side of him from the window of the room. It opened up onto a narrow balcony walkway with a solid concrete railing, which would provide decent cover, and once it was opened, he rotated himself out and dropped into a crouch. He swept rapidly until he was into a new position of cover, untrained sensitivity to the Force warned of two nearby who were at least as powerful as he and Shane, but none of the troopers below bore that indicator.

 

“Spread out, search the alleyways,” ordered the commander of the trooper platoon. Shane nodded and N’Haru rose up enough to aim, firing at the source of the sound and hitting him in the neck four times in rapid succession, dropping him and then shouting.

 

“You won’t have him!” catcalled the Bpfassh, having no real clue whether the inquisitor had been fighting a male or a female, but T3 wasn’t about accuracy. The storm troopers below immediately opened fire as he ducked back under the cover of the railing and rushed low until he was a dozen metres down the walkway. He popped up from there and fired again, expending another eight rounds of the clip as he dropped two more of the platoon’s armoured imperials. In truth, he probably didn’t need four shots to take one down when he was aiming for vital organs, but he was fond of the certitude that was offered by hitting them four times in more-or-less the same place. As the platoon raced toward the stairwell to ascend to the second-level balcony, N’Haru broke off and bolted further from Shane’s position, where he remained stealthily silent and still. N’Haru took cover once more, behind a heavy concrete block full of soil, having a large fern growing out of it. The owner of this particular local hotel liked to beautify their property, and ferns were pretty, especially to people from a barren desert world that had no ferns to speak of on it, at least not naturally occurring ones. As the soldiers rushed up onto the balcony, N’Haru leaned around again, firing eight more shots as he dropped their number from twenty-seven to twenty-five.

 

The platoon rushed forward, past Shane in pursuit of N’Haru as the young Bpfassh swept rapidly from one planter to the next. As the last soldiers passed the doorway, Shane slipped out and reached with the Force, swinging a hammer-blow of it across the last four, knocking them over the edge. As they fell face-first into the pavement at an unnaturally accelerated speed and broke their necks, Shane fired his pistol into the backs of four more, hitting each man twice, in the back of the head and the beck of the neck. The platoon jerked to a stop at the sound of gunfire behind them, their remaining soldiers whirling around to fire as Shane leapt over the edge and used the Force to swing himself down to the ground level below.

 

As Shane cleared the firing line, N’Haru stood and fired sixteen times in rapid succession, dropping their number by an additional four men. Even as they spun around for the second time in under a minute, N’Haru sent a wave of force into them that knocked the remaining thirteen men off their feet. Then, mirroring his lover, he used the Force, leaping over the edge and swinging underneath the balcony, where he landed beside Shane. Given the number remaining, the Bpfassh boy switched from his blaster pistol to his slug-thrower, and raced across the street, toward an alleyway other than the one with the two Force-users in it. As the troopers regained their feet and started firing from the balcony, he wheeled and dove behind a heavy truck, listening as their boots resounded heavily on the ground to indicate their exact positions. He leaned around, now aiming with greater precision as he had a gun with a mere seven-round clip in it, but far more power and firing a solid projectile. Four shots fired, and four troopers fell with a hole bored into their helmet and skull, as the others started firing and forced him to swivel back into the protective blockade of the truck, which at least for the moment was sustaining the fire.

 

He noticed movement in the Force, untrained senses still picking up the movement of one of the Force-use identities in the other alley, at the same time as he heard a very unfavourable sound from the truck. He swore under his breath, rising and rushing out from behind it toward another bit of cover; seeing him moving, Shane broke from his own cover and fired shots into four of the remaining troopers, dropping them. A heartbeat later, a powerful wave of Force was slammed into the remaining five as the dark-cloaked figure emerged from the alleyway and instantly attacked the last members of the squad of storm troopers. Seconds later, as N’Haru ducked behind another vehicle, the truck he’d been behind exploded, as the imperial soldiers had managed to hit the fuel tank and another unfortunately both flammable and explosive part of the inner mechanisms. The explosion distracted everyone long enough for N’Haru to wheel out of cover and leap forward with the help of the Force, landing in the middle of the five remaining soldiers as he switched back to his DC-17 pistol. As he landed on his feet, he immediately started turning, shooting each man in the head once before shooting them each twice more in the head for the added sense of certitude.

 

As he holstered his pistol, the dark-cloaked slayer of the inquisitors approached rapidly from one direction while his lover approached from the other. Both young men turned toward the dark-cloaked figure, which rapidly became clear as a woman, who holstered her own weapons as she approached, though her approach was hardly hospitable.

 

“Who the frack are you?” came the brusque inquiry from the Zabrak’s high tenor.

 

“Two of the Empire’s most critical nonfans,” replied Shane nondescriptly, as N’Haru looked sidelong at one, and then, sidelong at the other, before sighing.

 

“Yeah, that’s real friendly, you, two, now how about we not stand here surrounded by the bodies of a bunch of dead imperial soldiers and a couple dead inquisitors, and try the friendly version of this, _somewhere else_ ,” N’Haru put in, looking at both of them for a moment before turning and hurrying into a different alleyway. Shane followed quickly, and the woman somewhat reluctantly, though he assumed that she had concluded that as mutual enemies of the Empire it was in her best interest to follow them if she wanted somewhere to lie low. More particularly, it was in her best for the moment to follow the Bpfassh, a native of the planet and a relative local who knew the backstreets far better than his lover. Sure, it was true that Shane had lived here for ten years, but N’Haru was the one who’d been on these streets for his entire life, a considerable period of which entirely on his own. The Empire left orphans, wherever they went.

 

From one alley to a second and then a third, N’Haru led the way before lifting the cover off a hole and dropping into it, descending twenty feet before he landed. Little choice in the matter found the zabrak dropping next, followed by Shane, who pulled the cover back into place as soon as he was through, holding onto a ladder before dropping down, himself. When N’Haru did not stop, however, their dark-cloaked acquaintance found herself forced to follow further, running gracefully to keep up with the two healthy young men. After a tunnel, an abrupt second ladder down, and one further tunnel, they came out at the grand prize of the whole trek: a massive underground lake in a cave that had been transformed into a city facility. It wasn’t anywhere the Empire wanted to bother fortifying, or they didn’t know about it in the first place, but in either case, it was presently secure.

 

“You may have noticed Bpfassh is an arid desert, water comes at a premium. Every city on Bpfassh, well every major city with a population in the millions, is positioned near surface water, in one of the extremely rare rainy regions, or on top of one of an aquifer. The city of M’Haiu, happens to be one of the latter,” N’Haru explained, as their cloaked guest marveled for a moment at the massive lake underneath the city whose name she hadn’t really known until now, “My name is N’Haru Olath, and that’s Shane Morris, my… ah, mate. Who are you, and other than killing inquisitors, for which we thank you, what brings you to my homeworld?” Shane grumbled gruffly at the introductions, certainly not fond of giving names before getting them, but he would at least not need to wait long.

 

“I am Kazenna Xevac, and until about an hour ago, my reason for coming here was to kill those two inquisitors, then get off-planet before anyone noticed them missing,” the thirty-year-old zabrak replied, “until I noticed the two of you are Force-sensitive and untrained.” She wasn’t particularly happy about that, but her training compelled her to proceed into taking action to correct the lack of training and ensure their safety. In spite of her distancing herself from the word ‘Jedi,’ it was hard to overlook many years of training and an overall two decades of being one in one of the rare safe corners of the explored galaxy.

 

“We’re doing just fine on our own, thank you,” Shane replied.

 

“So I noticed, but you have a lot of potential and I could teach you how to tap into that potential and become great,” Kazenna answered.

 

“Still not going to work, I don’t call _anyone_ master _or_ mistress,” Shane replied firmly.

 

“Yeah, I kind of already have a Master. I mean, not like in the Force or anything, but,” added N’Haru, but Kazenna shook her head in answer.

 

“You wouldn’t have to call me anything like that, neither of you would,” she assured them, “I am not a Jedi, or a Sith, I don’t operate like that. If you want to find a title that works for you, that would be acceptable, or you can simply call me by my name and give me the same respect you’d give a teacher.”

 

“Sounds reasonable, I think; doesn’t it?” replied N’Haru, before looking over toward Shane. Shane sighed in a sort of long-suffering way as he looked sidelong at N’Haru, then rolled his eyes and groaned before offering a nod in answer.

 

“Very well, pet,” he said to the slightly older Bpfassh, then looked to the Zabrak woman, far their senior in terms of adulthood and training alike, “Your offer is acceptable, on the condition that this training does not disrupt my playtime with my boy.” Kazenna observed their interaction and her expression registered a recognition of the fact that the two were not simply intimately associated with one another, but equal partners in a kinkily unequal dynamic.

 

“I see. I will, of course, need to understand your relationship more clearly for that, but, I believe your intense emotional bond is a strength that can be capitalized. I am up for the challenge of attempting to train both of you, if you are up to the challenge of allowing me to learn about and come to understand your relationship,” Kazenna replied, and Shane lightened up with a more relaxed nod.

 

“Fair enough,” he said, more at-ease with the whole idea with her assurance of noninterference with his authority over his pet, “the first thing you should know, is you probably won’t hear him using my name again, as that is not the way he addresses me when talking to me, directly.” Kazenna nodded as she listened to the information Shane was ready to share with her.

 

“I take it, then, that you are the Master he was talking about, a moment ago?” she asked, and Shane nodded in answer; she nodded in response, then, looking to N’Haru, “I have no objection to you addressing him as Master if he is your Master, when I am about.” Shane smiled faintly and nodded once more.

 

“Good, then; we’ve been together for about three years, like this. We’re both orphans, we met up through our abilities; we sensed each other, found our way to each other, bonded with each other, and he became mine,” Shane explained, to which Kazenna nodded. It wasn’t uncommon for people who were Force-sensitive to have inklings of the presence of another person, though the manner in which they had come together seemed like it was probably a little less normal.

 

“I must admit, I’ve never met kinky Force-users, but I don’t imagine this’ll be a problem insofar as your training,” the elder of the three assured them, “However, I think we should find somewhere more secure than this to undertake both the training and locating safe transit off the planet. There is a Jedi Praxeum that has fallen into disuse since the fall of their Order and the rise of the Empire, it should prove secure enough for our purposes; the Empire largely ignores Jedi sites these days.”

 

“Very well,” Shane nodded, before looking toward N’Haru, “do you know the way, pet?”

 

“Of course, Master,” N’Haru replied readily, moving past the fact he knew where pretty much everything within about two hundred kilometres of M’Haiu was, “This way.” It took a while, but by the time they emerged from the underworld and returned to the surface, it was well past nightfall, a fact that suited their needs well enough. The Praxeum, itself, was not in the same level of disrepair it would have been if it were somewhere swampy; it was designed to resist wind erosion well enough, and that was about all this region of Bpfassh had to worry about was wind. Even sandstorms in this area were rather rare, so it weathered the weather quite efficiently, though from the sounds coming from further inside of it as they entered, it also saw far more recent use than expected. They moved up onto the roof, from one level of it to the next, in Force-assisted leaps that would let them get into a position to see the source of the sound, assuming the hangar doors were open.

 

Since they were not, however, they manoeuvred to look in through one of the windows, and saw a brand new ship of an unfamiliar design, incomplete and still under construction, with a salinon shape and a considerable size. It looked to be twenty-eight metres from dorsal to ventral hull, eighty metres at the widest point and sixty metres from the rounded nose to the more widely rounded aft curve. The hull itself looked to be brushed metal, of the durasteel variety, which at least that much was readily recognizable about the strange vessel.

 

“Do you recognize that design?” asked Shane, but Kazenna shook her head in answer.

 

“Unfamiliar, it must be new, but given the secrecy and our location, I can judge they’re no friends of the Empire. Look there, though: it has four Ht-12 heavy laser cannons in a quadruple nose mounting and the topside of each wing has a dual configuration of the KX9 standard laser cannon. Come on, now, we need to introduce ourselves now,” she replied, then motioned toward the ledge and down toward the ground below. She dropped over the edge and slowed her descent with the Force, allowing her to touch down on the sandy soil lightly enough before turning to face toward the building.

 

Shane and N’Haru both nodded in answer, following her down to the ground before using the Force to open a pair of double-doors on one outer wall. It was answered immediately by the squad of eight engineers drawing their pistols as they ducked into cover positions to fire at the door.

 

“Follow my lead,” Kazenna said, drawing her long-handled lightsaber and sweeping in through the door. Shane gave a nod, and then they moved in behind her, flanking her while drawing their pistols as she activated her lightsaber in a near-vertical bar directly in front of her, angled slightly forward.

 

“A Jedi,” came the hushed whisper of a man older than Kazenna by more years than N’Haru had been alive, as the set of combat engineers pulled back their pistols to indicate no intent to fire.

 

“Not anymore,” Kazenna said as she deactivated her lightsaber, and the young men behind her to either side bent their firing arms at the shoulder, so their pistols would aim toward the ceiling, “I am of the light, but I walk a different path. I have not seen a Jedi in years, but one would be a welcome sight in my quest to hit the Empire where it hurts. This is a place of Jedi learning; I know what brings us here, and I suspect I am looking at what brings you here. Or, perhaps more accurately, what you intend to bring you out of here.”

 

“You are correct in your estimation, stranger,” said the older male, as he emerged from behind crates of materials that were still in the process of being unloaded, as the ship was by no means yet prepared to sail them all off the planet. A man of somewhere between fifty-five and sixty-five years, he was hale and hearty, with the same pale grey complexion found on all Bpfasshi, and blue-grey irises. He stood one hundred eighty-two and nine-tenths centimetres tall, with a well-muscled weight of ninety-five and a quarter kilograms.

 

“My name is K’Shar Haelux, and this is my son, G’Brel,” K’Shar introduced himself, as well as a young man looking very much like K’Shar forty years earlier, who had come to stand beside him. Where K’Shar had short hair of salt and pepper black and light grey, G’Brel had hair of purest black, though not of a true-black colour. They were damnably close in height and weight, such that it would’ve been hard to tell them apart from one another in that regard, it was only the weathering of his features that made the father distinguished from his son.

 

“I am Kazenna Xevac, walker of the light and these two… fine young men, are my… students,” she replied, brokenly at points as she paused to search for the proper words.

 

“Shane Morris,” supplied Shane, far more readily, “owner of the gorgeous boy you see standing beside us.” N’Haru’s bone-grey skin flushed a shade of electric lavender in answer, but he smiled nevertheless.

 

“N’Haru Olath, pet and playmate of the fine, upstanding gentleman beside me,” N’Haru greeted, received by the faint chuckling of the older gentleman and the quizzical head-tilt of a son in his mid-twenties.

 

“Good enough for me. Those two over there, are our fellow engineers, the twins; S’Kara and S’Kolu Irfanth,” K’Shar continued, with a motion to a brother and sister who were extraordinarily close to indistinguishable from one another. Both a hundred seventy-seven and eight-tenth centimetres in height, both eighty-six and two-tenths kilograms in well-muscled physique, with bone-grey complexions and true-black hair in shoulder-length ponytails, the female twin was not voluptuous in her endowment. Dressed similarly, in outfits suitable to the hard mechanical labour involved in the manual assembly of a starship of the size of what they were working on, both of them appeared heavily androgynous, with pretty eyes of dark green colouration. Then, K’Shar motioned to two additional young men, who were dressed in more relaxed attire, which suggested whatever their role, it was decidedly not assembling and maintaining the ship.

 

“Those two are T’Lor Marluth and M’Kan Lorwun, our pilots,” K’Shar introduced, and the two nodded in answer to the introduction with the polite smile of men who were undecided in how they felt about a new acquaintance. Both of them had the same bone-grey complexion as was common in all Bpfasshi, well-muscled physiques, and short hair, but that was about where their similarities ended. T’Lor was one hundred eighty-five and a half centimetres in height and a somewhat slender-looking eighty-six kilograms, while M’Kan was a somewhat heartier ninety-two kilograms with a height of one hundred seventy-five and a quarter centimetres. Where T’Lor’s hair was black in one-inch spikes, his companion’s was chin-length and messy, and where M’Kan’s eyes were hazel, T’Lor had eyes of a potently vibrant shade of apple green. Finally, K’Shar motioned toward the last two members of their team.

 

“Our last two experts are both marines. Sor’A Lenoir is a programming and hacking expert, and the other is a friend of his, K’Cela Orph, she’s our munitions and explosives export,” K’Shar introduced the last of them. Sor’A was a man with the typical Bpfassh complexion accented by capri-blue irises and shaggy strands of shoulder-length hair of a true-black colouration, standing one hundred eighty one and a half centimetres in height and eighty-seven and one-tenth kilograms in weight. He was taller than many of them, but compared to K’Cela, he was still noticeably smaller, as she stood an impressive one hundred ninety and a half centimetres and ninety-nine and four-fifths kilograms in muscled weight. Her hair was inky brown-black and contained in a tight, chin-length ponytail, with eyes of the same shade of zinnwaldite brown to match, with the traditional Bpfasshi facial tattooing that were a part of their culture. It was a part of their culture that was voluntary, but N’Haru hadn’t ever met a Bpfassh who had resisted the traditional tattooing of their people when they were old enough to receive it.

 

“The humans have a saying,” K’Shar went on to say, “the enemy of my enemy, is my friend. This is not always a clear truth, but I sense that since you are enemies of the Empire, and we are enemies of the Empire, that we are both friends of the rebellion.”

 

“You sense correctly,” N’Haru assured him with a nod, which K’Shar returned.

 

“Then you are welcome here, and to come with us when we leave; there seems to have been quite a ruckus in M’Haiu, and our contacts in the city tell us a group matching your descriptions killed sixty imperial soldiers and two inquisitors. They also tell us that imperial soldiers are searching for you, and providing a variety of false accounts of your actions, in an attempt to deceive our countrymen into collaboration,” K’Shar said.

 

“Our current situation makes a strong case for all of us remaining here in the Praxeum until your ship is ready to fly,” Kazenna said, to which K’Shar nodded, “Since we will be working together, what can you tell me about the ship?”

 

“We are calling it an escort freighter, and as you see, it has gun turrets on both the top and bottom of each wing. Our supplier has a connection to Taim & Bak manufacturers, which is why all the ship’s weapons originate from the same manufacturer. Brushed metal hull, just finished installing the M’Haiu Cloaking Device, so when we paint her it won’t matter what the colours are because they won’t see us anyway unless we want them to,” K’Shar answered, “And don’t worry. It isn’t stygium-based, we wouldn’t risk the Empire wondering why we need that many lightsaber crystals, and it isn’t hibridium, so we’re not going to double-blind and have the stealth be tactically useless or something like that. The prototypes have already been tested on a personal scale to ensure they work, it’s how we got some of the harder to acquire parts, we used personal cloaks to infiltrate a couple of the local imperial supply depots.”

 

“She’ll go a solid 1,100 kilometres per hour in endoatmospheric flight; her exoatmospheric subluminal velocity should be around 42% of light. Slower than a TIE Fighter in a dogfight by a considerable margin, but she’s not a dogfighter, so that’s not really a concern,” G’Brel added, “The engines are F-31 drive engines from Kuat Systems Engineering, intended for heavier freight transport than she’ll carry. She’s about two-thirds the size of an Action Six but only carries ten thousand metric tons, and she’s got four engines instead of two; for luminal transit, we have her equipped with a Class 1.7 primary hyperdrive and a Class 2.3 reserve hyperdrive. Room on board for twenty, not that we’ll be likely to have that many people, more than that if anyone doubles-up like the twins, or… well, like you two, I guess, though that’s a different kind of doubling up, obviously.”

 

“Thank you very much for specifying that I don’t sleep with my brother,” S’Kara commented dryly in the background.

 

“Also, there’s obviously the coolant system, the inertial dampeners, SOSW and 4.2 VMT power converters and their associated power couplings, stuff like that,” G’Brel continued, undaunted by the comment, “no real complement with regards to speeders or anything yet, but the cargo deck’s got some room for that without sacrificing the reserved cargo space. Brackets on the floor delineate the separation between committed cargo space and twenty docking niches that’ll fit most models of speeder. Also, we can stock three months of high-quality rations or six months of non-perishables. Oh, and one more thing to know, it has a shield rating of 750 SBD and a hull rating of 700 RU, so it can take somewhat of a beating, but we shouldn’t hang around for a firefight too long if we run into an imperial ship. Stealth’s the better option with this girl.”

 

“There’s three decks,” K’Shar indicated, “top and bottom are the crew decks, engineering, gunnery stations, cockpit, that sort of stuff. Centre deck is the largest so we designed that to be the cargo bay, there’re access ladders in each of four positions connecting the three decks, at the corners of the cargo deck. There’s about a month of work to be done, yet, before we take off, but you’re clear to pick your rooms; there’s ten crew quarters on the first deck, ten on the third deck, but several of the deck one chambers are already claimed. They’re marked pretty clearly; mine’s room one, G’Brel is room two, twins are room three, pilots are room four, Sor’A is room five and K’Cela is room six, but seven through ten are clear.”

 

“We should take rooms on deck three, to make the training easier,” Kazenna advised, and Shane nodded.

 

“All right, we’ll take room three on deck three, then,” Shane said, and N’Haru nodded, “Not that we have much to put in it right now other than guns, armour, and one set of clothes, but, as long as it’s comfortable for two people to share the same space, that’s all that matters.”

 

“Plenty comfortable,” S’Kara assured, “we were able to put a nice-sized bed on opposite sides of the room and we’ve still more room than we need, with one bed you two will be living comfortably enough, under the circumstances.”

 

“We’re going to scout the Praxeum, both to ensure no imperial troops have started a search and to make sure there are no important resources we could use when we leave. The Empire tends to overlook places like this, now that there’s no Jedi in them to kill,” Kazenna said, and K’Shar nodded.

 

“Good thought, that,” he replied, “we wouldn’t want to miss anything that might be useful, or that might benefit the Empire if they found it. Not that this Praxeum’s seen use in a few centuries, anyway, so anything left of use won’t be likely to be especially new.”

 

“By the way, what are you calling this ship? Other than calling it an escort freighter by classification,” Shane asked, pausing to look at the group of Bpfasshi from near a doorway further into the Praxeum.

 

“We were thinking the Nighthawk, given the stealth abilities,” K’Shar answered, and Shane nodded.

 

“We’ll split up, since you two are skilled enough to not require my escort, and we’ll cover more ground, doing that,” Kazenna said, and Shane nodded.

 

“Of course; come, pet,” Shane replied then looked to his lover and motioned with a hand before heading off down one of the hallways of the Praxeum.

 

“Following, Master,” N’Haru replied, moving to follow his chosen Owner, two steps behind and on his left-hand side where Shane preferred him. N’Haru wasn’t certain of what they would discover in their search, but he was adamantly hopeful that it wouldn’t be more imperial soldiers. Mainly because that would mean fleeing with an incomplete ship or hoping the cloaking device actually worked to hide them from detection.


	3. Disappearing Act

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Shane, N'Haru, and the crew salvage what they can from the Praxeum, and disappear into the arid deserts of Bpfassh.

Shane was admittedly not sure exactly what they expected to find by simply wandering the halls of a strange building, but N’Haru followed obediently, a soothing presence on his left-hand side. A reflexive muscle movement and his hand swayed backward and a little outward, coming to a halt as his palm rest on his lover’s crotch, and he looked over his shoulder and smiled.

 

“Good boy,” Shane praised, patting him gently before letting his hand return to his side and continuing to walk through the hallways, making sure to look in every room. N’Haru offered a bubbly smile in answer to the praise, and then he continued to follow as his Master continued to proceed. Most rooms looked like they were probably intended to serve as bedchambers; the beds, themselves, were a dead giveaway, there, but they were empty like a ghost town. A bed by no means was a necessity to cart around with you, so he assumed when the Jedi left, their beds were left behind as just unnecessary cargo. Personally, he valued beds more, perhaps because he hadn’t had one of his own in several years, and when he finally did get a bed, it wouldn’t just be his bed, it’s be _their_ bed, his and N’Haru’s, and that would make it a lot more special. Of course, he wasn’t going to consider their bed on the Nighthawk as their bed, in part because it would probably be bolted to the floor, though that would probably be helpful.

 

“N’Haru. Note to self: when we have our own place, bolt the bed to the floor,” Shane dictated, and N’Haru nodded in answer to him.

 

“Noted, Master,” N’Haru replied obediently, before they found what looked like a library, with a treasure trove worth of cubes in it. He had no clue what they were, but he assumed they were going to be valuable, though he was glad all the same that they were using the Force to wash the dust out of the rooms they passed through. If anyone came looking for signs of a disturbance, all they’d find would be evidence that a strong wind came through and wiped the dust of a great many years away into the desert. A bit of caution never hurt, and between them, they were able to brush all the dust gently away before them whilst leaving doors they opened unaffected, so dusty rooms would remain dusty rooms. A different solution would need to be taken in the case of rooms that actually had something in them, but for the halls, at least, they could press the dust before them and out glassless windows and onto the desert sand beyond.

 

At the library, though, Shane put a hand out to his left and stopped his pet with a palm on his chest gently, shaking his head a bit to indicate not to enter as he closed the door once more. This room had something of value in it, certainly, but it was best to avoid traipsing through the dust or attempting to push it from the room until they knew there was an exit they could push it to – no point masking their presence only to make a mistake.

 

“Best wait for Kazenna; no knowing whether the Jedi laid traps before they left, or if the room has windows we can press the dust out of,” Shane said, and his pet nodded obediently in answer. Then, they continued their exploration of the abandoned academy of Jedi learning, to ensure that there was nothing to miss. By the time they were done, they’d scanned through what felt like every corridor in the building that had open windows they could use to their benefit, in the course of which finding no other library-reminiscent chambers. However, there were a few large rooms boasting of large windows having no panes, so they perpetuated the myth of a strong wind by using the Force to purge the dust from those rooms.

 

“What do you think these rooms are for, Master?”

 

“My guess is a training hall or a dining room. If they took everything with them, or at least most, that would explain why this room’s so… hollow,” Shane answered, stroking his pet’s mane lightly, “It’s certainly massive, though, which would certainly lend itself to a training room. For now, let’s get back to the hangar and let them know we found some stuff that looks like it’s probably important and let’s see how the lady thinks we should go about acquiring that stuff; we should also make sure we clear the dust out of the hangar just in case.”

 

It proved to be far quicker coming than going, since they could beeline it there, rather than just going through every single hallway. Night had already fallen by the time they returned, to discover that Kazenna had already returned from her own foray, and stood with a long crate that struck both boys immediately as looking like a weapons case.

 

“I’d ask what took you so long, but when I returned from getting this, I saw no dust anywhere in the halls. Do the two of you use the Force to run a cleaning service?”

 

“No,” Shane answered Kazenna’s retort, “we were using the Force to blow the dust outside. If any imperials do come to investigate, it’ll just look like a strong wind came through and nobody’s been here. Better than traipsing all through the dust and leaving clear tracks that someone’s been here and where they went.” Kazenna blinked and tilted her head a bit in answer.

 

“Speaking as a huntress, that’s actually pretty clever; no dust, nothing to leave tracks in. Guessing you didn’t see any items we might salvage?”

 

“Found the library, lots of small cubes in it, like, a lot of them, but there was dust everywhere, and we don’t clear the dust out of a room where we’re not sure if wind can even get in it,” Shane answered, and she nodded a bit in response.

 

“Smart. There are large windows higher up, but those cubes are holocrons, and they’re very important, both to Bpfassh and to the Jedi Order, the Rebel Alliance will want them secured. It is important they do not fall into imperial hands, even if it means we might have to leave proof of our presence in the Praxeum for anyone who might come to check,” Kazenna replied, and both Shane and N’Haru nodded in turn.

 

“Let’s retrieve them immediately, then, but once they’re loaded aboard, we should really load everything into the ship that we can even if it’s still under construction, just in case imperials decide to look here,” Shane replied, and K’Shar nodded.

 

“Good point, they’re looking for you three, now, which ups the risk they’ll look here. Everyone, get all of these crates inside,” K’Shar said, and watched as the rest of the Bpfasshi other than N’Haru quickly started hauling parts that were not yet installed into the cargo bay. Additional internal construction could be done without having everything scattered around the hangar floor, anyway, though Kazenna put a hand on the crate behind her when someone came for it.

 

“Not this one yet,” she said, before pulling off the lid and setting it aside, to reveal a collection of lightsabers, or more accurately, deactivated training lightsabers, “I went to the Praxeum’s armoury, it’s hidden underneath the floor in one of the large rooms you two cleansed. These have kasha crystals in them, and their EM containment fields are enhanced so that they can be used by Jedi younglings and padawans who haven’t yet mastered the lightsaber. There’s a variety of models, but you’ll need to pick the type that speaks to you before we can begin training you in the use of a lightsaber; as with similar weapons not of the lightsaber variety, they have different styles.”

 

“Go ahead, pet, you can pick first,” Shane said, gesturing the collection of a dozen different training lightsaber styles. N’Haru nodded, quickly picking the largest item in the crate out of it, the one that was the reason for the length of the crate being as much as it was.

 

“A lightsaber pike,” Kazenna informed, as he took the phrik-alloy shaft into his hands, a length of one hundred sixty centimetres, which made it almost ideal for a student of N’Haru’s height, “A highly aggressive weapon, best suited to open spaces. One would require both talent and ferocity in combat to wield it skillfully in an enclosed space.”

 

“Yeah, that sounds like my pet,” Shane observed dryly, before looking at the collection of weapons to see which were left, then picking two items, one with a long handle like Kazenna’s, the other with a short handle like her sai, except without the branch.

 

“Long-handled lightsaber, like mine, and a shoto lightsaber, similar to mine but with only a single blade, like a dagger; it’s a highly efficient and adaptive combination. Easily learned, though as difficult to master as the spear, although for different reasons, far better suited to both offensive and defensive situation,” Kazenna said as he picked them each up. Then she turned and nodded to K’Cela, who put the lid back on the case and hauled it into the cargo bay with all the other crates.

 

“Everything’s loaded; we’ll stay here and cloak the ship if we have to. Go get those holocrons and be back here quick,” K’Shar advised, and Kazenna nodded, “K’Cela, take one of the engine crates we emptied and make sure they don’t have to leave anything behind in that library.” K’Cela nodded immediately and joined them, following as the Force-sensitive trio led the way to the library, where Kazenna motioned with a hand to Shane and N’Haru.

 

“Clear the path for us, if you will,” she instructed, and they nodded in unison. N’Haru stepped up, looking over that room and reaching out with his Force-sensitivity as Shane stepped up behind him, sliding his hands around him and beneath his underarms, until their arms twined forward with their hands close. Their hair moved first, swaying forward as if a wind was brushing against it, and Kazenna tilted her head as she watched them, though they were oblivious for the moment to her curiosity. A moment later, the breeze increased, and Kazenna could sense the faint rippling within the Force, but she knew it would’ve been so minor that no one outside the Praxeum would’ve even bloody noticed it. Finally, it spiked as high as it could without someone in the nearby city even noticing it if they were Force-sensitive, and a wave of air swept over everything, drawing the dust with it as it went. When it reached the windows of the upper level, their Force-induced current purged the dust outwards, into the natural air current of the desert.

 

“Wily,” Kazenna praised with a nod, then quickly directed K’Cela toward the nearest collection of the holocrons they had come for, “Stack them neatly in the crate. It won’t hurt them to be in close proximity, but it’ll definitely hurt them to be jostled about or tossed in haphazardly. The crate ultimately ended up having enough in it that it took up nearly as much space as one of the small starship engines the crate used to hold before the lid could be affixed and the library was drained of all knowledge. Kazenna turned her head, faintly, an expression of listening on her face, before nodding and allowing the four of them to return to the ship, boarding quickly and watching the ramp close.

 

“All right, we’re in your hands now, Captain,” Kazenna said to K’Shar with a nod as the boarding and loading ramp closed and sealed, “Now you simply make sure that nobody finds us while we’re still on Bpfassh.”

 

“I think I can make that happen,” K’Shar said with a nod, “T’Lor, trigger the hangar bay doors to open, then shut them as soon as we’re up. We can’t leave the atmosphere yet, but we can get out of here and move somewhere considerably less conspicuous than an abandoned building in the middle of nowhere.”

 

“My pet and I require some time alone, now that all that’s done,” Shane said, excusing himself and his pet as he led the way to one of the ladders and dropped down, with N’Haru close behind.

 

“Right,” Kazenna replied, watching them drop out of sight one after the next, “we’ll just get to lightsaber training later then.” That was the last of her comments they heard, at least, as Shane opened the door marked with the ‘3’ and then followed his pet inside, closing the door behind them.

 

The room itself was modest enough, about four metres wide from the door to the back wall and six metres across with a bed in the middle of the back wall. It looked comfortable enough, about a metre wide and two metres in total length, certainly doable for two, with a couple simple storage crates on either side of the room for what little use they had for them at that particular instant. Hardly spacious accommodations, but it was good enough, if you liked rooms having a metal floor, metal ceiling, and metal walls.

 

“I was right about the bed,” Shane observed, noting the metal frame and the fact it was bolted to the floor and to the back wall, both, with some space underneath the bed. Armour was soon shed into separate crates, guns and lightsaber shafts positioned within reach as they moved a crate to either side of the bed, so their armour and weapons would be closer-at-hand.

 

“Ooh! Damn it, the floor’s cold,” Shane said as he stood, nude and barefoot, while looking at his pet lying nude upon the bed, on his back, looking up at him, “Now, I know those girls are pretty, but I expect you to get my permission for it before you pursue either of them.”

 

“Oh, Master, you know I prefer my lovers to have a handlebar,” N’Haru replied playfully, as Shane crossed the minute distance between them.

 

“It isn’t exactly a handl… mmm,” Shane started, pausing as he felt and saw N’Haru’s fingers sliding around the shaft of his rigid phallic muscle, which solicited a soft sigh of pleasure.

 

“We both know you like it when I slip my fingers around your manhandle,” N’Haru continued playfully, and Shane rolled his eyes in amusement and groaned softly in pleasure at the sensation of stroking.

 

“Yes, yes,” Shane replied, before reaching down to slide his fingers gently across the taut, smooth surface of pallid grey skin marked with black tattooing that formed angles before coming into points. As his pet stroked his length with one hand, the other sliding gently up his thigh, he angled his hips and pressed smoothly into his lover’s mouth, with a smile and a sigh of pleasure.

 

“Yeah, baby… that’s my boy,” praised Shane, fingers caressing his pet’s facial features affectionately, delicately. As it slid into his mouth, N’Haru’s hand slid off the length of his Master’s phallus and onto the younger male’s thigh with a soft moan that gently vibrated that muscle.

 

“Frack, are you good at this no matter what the position, pet?” queried rhetorically as his hips started to move against his pet’s face, rising on the balls of his feet with each thrust, heels touching cool metal floor with a shiver as he pulled back. He hoped they had environmental controls working on the ship, otherwise he might have to get accustomed to cold soles or wearing socks when they did stuff like this!

 

“Note to self, pet; ask about environmental controls and consider long stockings for both of us,” he said as he looked down at his pet, who moaned an affirmation around his rod. Even as his throat bulged with the part of Shane’s twenty-one-and-three-fifths-centimetre cock that was in it, moving back and forth, he responded in the only way he could’ve replied, a way that pleased his Master quite nicely. For his part, N’Haru lay on his back and savoured the moment and the experience, feeling his Master’s cock slide across his tongue and relishing in the rich flavour of a human prick as it used his mouth. The scent of his clean, masculine musk, was likewise intoxicating in N’Haru’s nostrils, and it hadn’t actually been all that hard for Shane to claim him for his own, once he’d gotten the Bpfassh onto his knees for the first time.

 

For a few minutes, their room was silent save for the soft sound of N’Haru’s moans around his Master’s prick and his Master’s soft moans of pleasure in answer. He increased his pace slowly, steadily, beginning to fuck his boy’s throat more forcefully and more aggressively, until he slid his palms to N’Haru’s chest. N’Haru arched faintly as he felt his Master’s fingers pinching and twisting his nipples, throat shifting faintly, and then Shane began to hammer his hips, skull-fucking his pet enthusiastically, with a loud, low groan of pleasure. He took what he needed from his boy, fast and hard, though N’Haru’s hard prick wasn’t lost on him, either, as he leaned over him and fucked him even harder, until he felt himself start to pulse violently.

 

“Mm… yes! Eat it, you little slut!” growled Shane in pleasure, pressing so far into his mouth that his nuts slid smoothly into N’Haru’s mouth and lodged his entire cock in his throat. N’Haru couldn’t breathe, but for the moment he didn’t need to, as he felt his Master’s tongue sliding up the length of the topside of his prick and groaned faintly in pleasure as his Master’s seed surged down his throat into his stomach. One of his Master’s hands slid down his body until left fingers curled around his prick and started to stroke it aggressively, pumping his hand fast and hard along that twenty-three-centimetre shaft of bone grey cock.

 

“Come on, bitch, give it to me, give your Master some of that sweet Bpfasshi honey of yours,” Shane urged his slightly older, slightly better endowed pet. Between his pet’s diet consistent largely of fruit and vegetables and differences in their physiology and taste buds, N’Haru’s release had always reminded him a bit of honey. Airway blocked, N’Haru’s moans of pleasure as he felt his Master’s hand vibrated the length of cock still lodged therein, eyes widening with an even more forceful vibration as he felt his Master’s lips touching his prick.

 

“I said give it to me you little whore,” Shane growled in arousal, bucking his hips violently against his pet’s mouth as he wrapped his lips around the tip of N’Haru’s prick and slid down it. He bobbed his head smoothly, his own length holstered in his boy’s mouth until he chose to remove it, sucking gently on his boy’s shaft as his lips travelled ever so slowly down the length. Shane liked it fast and hard, but he knew his boy liked it slow and sensuous, and the feeling of his body trembling in arousal underneath him was a profoundly empowering sensation. Vibrations on his cock fell to a dull whimper of tremulous pleasure, until his lips slid back up slowly until only the tip was in his mouth as N’Haru started to pulse, and a surge of thick seed flowed up into his Master’s mouth.

 

“Mm,” Shane moaned softly on the head of his boy’s cock as he drank what his pet provided him, a sweet and delicious nectar that simply made Shane happy. Not only because it was savoury and slightly saccharine, but because it provided N’Haru with the pleasure his boy constantly proved he deserved. He slid his head down once more, taking him to the hilt before tightening his lips and sliding up one last time, savouring the last drops of his pet’s release and swallowing. Then he rose from it, hands sliding back to N’Haru’s shoulders as he moved upright and pulled his hips back, nuts sliding out of his pet’s mouth followed by the length of his cock until N’Haru huffed against it and took a deep breath.

 

“Mm, thank You, Master,” N’Haru breathed in relief, and Shane smiled at him lovingly.

 

“You’re welcome, pet. Now, switch positions, boy,” he ordered, and N’Haru quickly switched positions to get on his knees on the bed, fingers curling around the headboard bolted to the back wall, shivering a little at the cool sensation of the metal in his hands, as his Master moved up onto the bed behind him. He didn’t delay in pressing against him as he did, slithering his hands around his boy before tightening them and thrusting saliva-moistened prick into N’Haru’s rump, then yanking his boy back to present that ass better. A loud crack, a whimpering groan of pleasure from N’Haru, as Shane’s hand smacked down on his ass, followed by a few more strikes as he spanked his boy.

 

“You’re such a good boy, N’Haru,” Shane praised with adoration, leaning over him to his shoulder, biting him on the nape of the neck firmly, possessively, for a moment, before whispering in his ear, “You make life worth living, you little bitch-slave.” As he rose again, he pulled his hips back and slammed to the hilt again, beginning to fuck his boy aggressively, relaxing into the motion of it as he used all his strength to hammer it home. The metal bed shook and it shuddered, rumbling and humming as it was strained back and forth against the rivets bolting it to the wall and floor. He fucked his boy relentlessly, pounding into his taut, gorgeous rump with enough force that if they’d been in a shuttle, the whole shuttle might have swayed with their union. Fortunately, they didn’t fuck hard enough to induce such in a whole escort freighter, though anyone right outside the door would’ve been able to hear it clearly enough, for nearly an hour before Shane bit his boy a second time and thrust hard.

 

“Ahh,” moaned N’Haru in a boyish, gasping sound of pleasure, as he felt his Master’s seed pulsing deeply into him, a shiver of arousal filling him as the bed finally ceased to strain against the durasteel bolts. Comfort had clearly not been a major design concern for these engineers, but the bed was soft enough, as were the covers they had just fucked on as Shane slid his hips back and withdrew.

 

“Frack, that was exactly what I needed, baby,” Shane praised, slapping his boy’s ass hard once more, and smiling as it was answered with a soft whimper of pleasure, encouraging him to do it again.

 

“Mm, thank You, Master,” sighed N’Haru as he looked over his shoulder, fingers still curled around the headboard.

 

“You like that you little slut?” came the rhetorical question, before he smiled and shook his head, “All right, you’ve been a good boy. I guess you’ve earned a good spanking.” He knew it would bring his boy into a state of impressive arousal, which meant a bit more of that ‘Bpfasshi honey,’ for him, so it was a win-win, as he delivered a few additional strikes to his boy’s ass. It was an empowering experience, it always was, as he spanked his boy and heard him whimper in pleasure and occasionally look over his shoulder at his Master lovingly. He counted his way to about two hundred on each side before stopping; his boy could take a real good spanking, before stopping when his pet’s rump reached a nice shade of a sort of dark silver colouration.

 

“There you go, good boy,” Shane praised as he stroked his pet’s ass, rubbing gently after his spanking, “It’s my turn for something nice, though, pet.” He slid down and pulled himself between his pet’s thighs, letting his tongue travel a bit across his pet’s balls, letting his boy sink them into his mouth when he lowered with a whimper of pleasure. Shane sucked on them gently for a moment, smiling at the flavour and the sight of his boy’s beautiful body stretched before his eyes, then pushed them out with his tongue and pulled himself further. He lay against the bed and propped himself up a bit with the pillows, and N’Haru obediently shifted his position forward, rising up more on his knees until the tip of his rod reached Shane’s mouth, and he pushed in gently.

 

“Mm, good boy,” Shane whispered against his cock seconds before the head slid into his mouth and he started to suck his boy’s length once more, bobbing his head slowly and firmly on his length. It didn’t take more than a couple times before his pet was spilling into his mouth, but Shane didn’t mind that. He _had_ aroused his boy rather tremendously by giving him that spanking so it was to be expected he was already teetering on the edge by this point. As he took it into his mouth and swallowed until there was none left, N’Haru obediently pulled back and sat down on the bed, and Shane smiled at him with a nod.

 

“Very good boy,” Shane praised, smiling at the faint shiver of pleasure that went through his boy when he received his Master’s approval, “I hope this training we’ve signed up for will go well. At least we get lightsabers and learn how to use them; I’m sure that’ll be useful, at least. Did you really have to pick the biggest thing in the box, though?”

 

“Oh, come on, Master, You know I’m not a size queen,” N’Haru said as he pulled back further and reached for their clothes, passing his Master his clothes before reaching for his own.

 

“Yeah,” Shane replied dryly as he looked at him skeptically, “well, not like you can’t switch to something else if you find you’re not able to handle a shaft that size.” At his Master’s teasing, N’Haru’s cheeks flushed a little again, before he stuck out his tongue and his Master laughed softly in loving amusement.

 

“Alert, alert; imperial troopers detected approaching the Praxeum,” came the voice of T’Lor over the ship’s intercom, as the ship itself rose out of the building and stealthily closed the hangar doors before they were close enough to notice the difference. The ship, itself, already cloaked, failed to appear on any scanners and as the ship pulled into motion, it left the Praxeum behind, and sailed stealthily into the arid deserts of Bpfassh. Shane wasn’t quite sure where exactly it was they planned on going to, but the lack of a feeling of going up meant they weren’t leaving the atmosphere, yet.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Apologies to those of you who like inches and pounds -- trying something new by using the metrics, but I can change it to inches and pounds for the people specs if a lot of you would prefer that. Obviously metrics is better for the ship specs, though. All feedback welcome (as long as it's courteous).


	4. Neoteric Guidance

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Shane and N'Haru continue their training, as the crew continues constructing the Nighthawk's interior and preparing the ship to leave atmo.

After the Nighthawk landed in one of the canyons of the arid world of Bpfassh, the first several days were quiet, and the lessons from Kazenna focused on determining what they already knew, could already do. Meanwhile, they learned that the cloaking device relied on a rare crystal that was unmonitored by the Empire, since it had no value in lightsaber construction: the Zipthar hexa-crystal, named for the Zipthar system in whence they were first discovered. An unusual, round crystal with a prism-like lattice, these crystals had a tendency to bend and refract light in unusual ways, which the students and faculty of M’Haiu Engineering University had found a way to capitalize on for a new cloaking device. Finally, the time came to begin their tuition with their newly acquired training lightsabers, at which point their mentor took N’Haru’s lightsaber pike and started to demonstrate combat to him.

 

For more than an hour, she demonstrated for a few minutes, and then passed it to him and he replicated it to the best of his abilities before passing it back to her. Somewhere around the eighty-six-minute mark, she handed it back to him and she nodded a bit in satisfaction.

 

“All right, you seem to have at least a slight talent for it, so let’s see about actual combat training now,” Kazenna said, as she tinkered momentarily with her own long-handled lightsaber.

 

“Of course he has a talent for it. N’Haru has always been good at using anything long and round once he’s wrapped his fingers around it,” Shane commented dryly. Kazenna froze and looked at him out of the side periphery of her eyes as he sat watching to her left and his boy’s right, then finished what she was doing with her lightsaber.

 

“Uh, right, well,” she replied, sliding off the crate she’d been seated on, “There, I’ve modulated mine to training mode. I’ll go light on you, because I don’t want to hurt you when I hit you. Remember to use the entire length of the weapon, it’s made out of phrik and I’m unaware of a crystal that would be able to cut through that.” N’Haru nodded, and then moved defensively as she moved forward in seeming slow motion, bringing her blade around in an attack trajectory.

 

“We’ll start slow, get you used to recognizing and responding to different attack angles, work on technique first and speed second,” she advised, as she moved gracefully in her offensive. She found herself unaccustomed to having her offhand empty, but she’d trained with single-weapon combat as a padawans and she knew how to fight without having her sai, that much was clear to Shane as he watched them. When it was his own turn, Shane found that Kazenna went as steadily and easily on him as on N’Haru, training them both separately but in view of the other, alternating days of training for nearly two weeks.

 

Finally, with about twelve days of work remaining on the ship to get it ready to ‘leave atmo,’ Kazenna said she felt it was time for a real test of their respective combat skills and what they had learned.

 

“You’ve done impressively well with your pike training, N’Haru, and Shane, your dual-wielding is also getting quite good. So, we’re going to keep it on training level, but we’re going to go at normal speed rather than the slow-motion muscle training we’ve been doing. I’ll go with N’Haru this morning, I’ll go with you this afternoon, and see just where we’re at in terms of your training needs,” Kazenna said, and N’Haru nodded. He was fairly certain he was about to be beaten pretty dramatically, but he was committed to learning how to put his training to use in terms of actual combat. He’d learned to rely on the staff, itself, and not just the training blade at the top, which accounted for a comparatively meagre twenty and one-third centimetres in length. It was, however, also wider than the cylinder of the phrik staff, as well: like the staff, the blade was about five centimetres thick, but it was also ten and a quarter centimetres wide, and that lent it a noticeably spearhead-like element. It bore an amber-coloured lightsaber blade, due to the kasha crystal it used, and despite that he’d never especially cared for the colour yellow, the amber blade was nevertheless quite placid.

 

“All right, are you ready?”

 

“I think so, but I know I’m nowhere near as fast as you are,” N’Haru said skeptically in answer, and she nodded.

 

“That’s why we’ll go at normal speed, not best speed. I’ll still be holding back a little bit, but nowhere near what I’ve been holding back. Eventually, we’ll be able to train at full speed, but that’s probably a couple years away, at least. Let’s start this first round with you on defense for a bit,” Kazenna replied, before she lurched forward with a sweeping overhead chop of her long-handled lightsaber. Partially trained reflexes responded with a lift of both hands so her blade hummed as it struck the horizontal bar of his staff as he brought it into position, twisting to defend from a slash from the left, then the right. She challenged for about twenty minutes before they stopped to have breakfast and to use the ship’s onboard showers – separately, of course – and in the course of her playing the offensive role, she struck him a dozen times. Mostly with jabs, though he’d adapted to it quickly enough to start blocking that attack efficiently, also, which built his confidence a bit.

 

“All right, now we’ll see how you do on the offensive side, I won’t counterattack. At some point, we will practice and I’ll be using both weapons and offense or defense will depend on the flow of battle. For now, we need to ensure that you’ve learned the offensive strikes and techniques, though, so that when you have an opportunity to attack, you use it, and so you know how to remain on the offensive if they block,” Kazenna said, and N’Haru nodded in response to her words, “All right. Now, come at me and let’s see how you do and how long you can last.” He proved to be vigorous and refreshed, leastwise enough to last twenty-two minutes before she called a cease because training when exhausted was relatively pointless. In the course of that time, he hadn’t hit her once, but he felt good about it because she’d also only called him once on a lull in which most opponents could’ve tried to counter, and that was only about three minutes before she motioned to end the session.

 

“Damned good start, kid; an opponent of average skill wouldn’t have had time to counterattack without a direct use of the Force, or an offhand weapon, but we’ll get to that. Against a single-wielding enemy that’s not using the Force as a direct weapon in the fight, I think you have the talent to hold your own. I have to admit I’m somewhat surprised by how well you handle yourself on the defensive side of things,” she replied, “The pike may be a good choice, after all, for you. It isn’t a great choice for most.”

 

“Kazenna, K’Shar told me you wanted a report,” said T’Lor as he dropped down from deck one into the cargo deck, in whose free space the zabrak was training her students in the use of their newest weapons, “imperial patrols haven’t come near the canyon, yet. Sor’A managed to hack us into their com channels, but we can only do that for just a few minutes at a time or there’s a risk of detection; they reported strange findings at the Praxeum, but nothing that indicated anyone had been there.”

 

“Sounds like your plan worked,” Kazenna said with a nod of approval, “any indications about where they’re going to continue their search?”

 

“For now, they seem to have decided we must be somewhere in the city, so they’re searching there, and they seem to be ignoring everything that isn’t a zabrak,” he replied, “You sort of stick out, around here. Even a human’s a relatively normal sight on Bpfassh, between civilians with a business reason to be here and those imperial assholes here to just be imperial assholes; a zabrak’s a pretty rare sight hereabouts, though.”

 

“That sounds about like my luck since I entered this system,” Kazenna replied with a deadpan expression before she walked to the nearest ladder, “I need to meditate.” A moment later, she dropped out of sight as she leapt down through the hole to the third deck, and came to rest inside her personal quarters, where she could meditate and regain her focus. While she was meditating, Shane nodded his head toward the upper deck and ascended the ladder with N’Haru behind him, and lent their muscle to accelerating the work on the ship by a couple hours of additional manpower and effort.

 

As evening mealtime approached, Kazenna returned from her meditations and stretched her muscles, and then it was Shane’s turn for a ‘normal’ training session. It proved harder for N’Haru to watch his Master training than it was for his Master to watch him training: not because he didn’t like to watch, but because the pace seemed a bit quicker and it involved twice as many flashing blades. Shane’s training thus far had always involved both weapons simultaneously, to ensure that he would learn to fight with one, the other, or both, with sufficient effectiveness that disarming him of one wouldn’t cripple him in a confrontation. Kazenna assured him that close-combat Force training would enter their training eventually, but that everything had a pace and should be taken at the proper one, and that lessons would come when the students were ready for them.

 

The morning practice between Kazenna and N’Haru had been at arm’s length in the first phase and had been beyond arm’s length in the second phase. In both the defense and offense phases of Shane’s training session, they were close enough to one another to have kissed, several times; they were practically at grappling distance. It didn’t particularly bother N’Haru how close they were, his Master wasn’t any more interested in women than he was, but it didn’t escape him that his Master’s combat style in melee would be of a far more up-close-and-personal variety. Their training, of course, tended to acquire spectators in the form of half the crew, since the pilots and marines had little to do, with the former being unnecessary when the ship wasn’t in flight and the latter unnecessary when it wasn’t being boarded by a hostile squad. As the offense phase of Shane’s training session ended, his Master bathed in a new layer of perspiration as a result of it, Kazenna stretched and shook her head.

 

“You’re both quite impressively talented. Tomorrow, all four training phases will involve all three of us, with the two of you working as a team; your goal will be to disarm me, or to land a strike that with an unshackled lightsaber would be fatal. The training phase will end when you succeed or when I have hit you each in a such a way,” Kazenna said as she stretched her limber muscles, “You will be allowed to retrieve your weapons if I disarm you in a way that doesn’t involve a strike that would kill with an unshackled lightsaber. That’s how it would be in real combat, so that’s how it shall be in tomorrow’s training, though I’ll still move at normal speed, and not full speed. We’ll alternate days between that and what we did today, as we work to get you good independently and good as a pair.”

 

“Understood, mentor,” Shane replied. He’d developed a certain sense of respect for her over the last few days, between her clear skill in the Force and in the use of these weapons, and her honouring of her promise to respect their dynamic, “T’Lor, is it currently safe to go outside? I need a bit of fresh air.”

 

“Last we checked, imperials aren’t anywhere within a few dozen kilometres; we’re a good ways from M’Haiu, now,” T’Lor answered, and he nodded.

 

“Come on, pet, let’s go outside,” Shane called, and N’Haru followed his Master as the ramp lowered for them, allowing them to walk out into the canyon cavern-mouth where the pilots had brought the ship to land. The cavern was large, enough so to allow a couple additional ships the size of the Nighthawk to have landed in it, but what it lacked in water it made up in wind access. A cool breeze wafted through the cavern, deep into it and through narrow channels in the rock, creating a through draft that passed through sections of rock yet too small for anyone larger than a mouse or a gecko to have crawled through it. Shane moved a few dozen metres away from the ship and looked up at the stars and the night sky through the opening of the canyon mouth; it looked away from M’Haiu, and out on a beautiful blanket of glittering evening velvet.

 

“Almost as beautiful as You are,” N’Haru observed as he joined his Master, who slipped an arm around him and gave him a light kiss on the cheek.

 

“Charmer,” Shane accused playfully, before pushing his pet down gently, then lowering himself to sit with his lover, comfortable and at peace, if only for the moment. There didn’t seem to be enough moments like this, in the last three years since they had found one another, and with the Empire’s stepped-up occupation of Bpfassh, it didn’t seem like it was going to change anytime soon. The Rebel Alliance was the only option for anyone who wanted to experience a feeling of freedom ever again – eventually the Empire would exterminate everything in the galaxy that was of any species other than human. Anyone who believed otherwise was deluding themselves or was someone who just simply didn’t care about the other species enough to notice what was happening outside their own blithe, naïve little bubbles. Shane wasn’t sure which of those two things bothered him more, but the latter was certainly the more offensive thing, and he hoped that anyone living in such naïveté would have that bubble popped sooner rather than later.

 

“Master, do you think we’ll ever…”

 

“Quiet, baby,” Shane hushed him gently, turning his boy’s head and kissing him gently on the lips, before looking his boy in both beautiful eyes of shimmering dark blue, barely visible in the darkness, “when we leave here, it will not be the last time we see our world. Someday, my love, we will return, and we will see a free Bpfassh, a Bpfassh liberated from imperial oppression, but for that to happen we have to leave; we have to do our part.” N’Haru nodded quietly in submissive acceptance of his Master’s assurance, and he knew his Master was right, but it didn’t make it any easier to leave his planet behind. Not that he really had anything here he stood to lose, exactly, with his Master being all he had that was of any particular importance to him and his Master not remaining on the planet, either.

 

They sat like that for a while, before returning to the ship and to their quarters to sleep, knowing the following morning would involve more intense training than they were familiar with up until this point in terms of their lightsaber training. It was something to be looked forward to with anticipation and excitement, but also the dread of sweat and undoubtedly considerable muscle exhaustion.

 

About an hour before breakfast the next morning, they woke, took their first rinse of the day, then dressed themselves and appeared in the cargo bay for their training. Kazenna was already up, looking fresh and alert as she waited for her students to arrive, and the pilots and marines were already sitting and watching her run through a practice routine of her own.

 

“Ah, there you are. Good, I hope you are ready for your first time training to fight as a team,” Kazenna said, and Shane nodded a little bit. In truth, it was not their first time fighting as a team, simply their first time fighting as a team using lightsaber weapons and engaging an opponent in close quarters. N’Haru nodded as he gripped his staff tightly in both hands while Shane activated his shoto and long-handled lightsabers, and Kazenna activated her sai and long-handled lightsaber with a faint squint toward N’Haru, clearly wondering what his game was. He hadn’t activated his own, yet, but the top and bottom of the staff were still clearly distinguishable from one another, nevertheless.

 

N’Haru watched as she moved forward, clearly favouring an approach on him before his Master, though his Master’s movements were circular, looking for an angle to attack. For his part, N’Haru gave ground as she advanced and then attacked, blocking and deflecting efficiently as she pushed forward aggressively. It was no haphazard withdrawal, on his part, however, as he was withdrawing intentionally, until she had him near a large crate. As she made a sweeping strike, he set the butt of his staff against the corner of crate and floor and blocked in a way that made her attack push up on the staff. He coupled this with a faint burst of Force, somersaulting upward and backward, rotating his staff until it hit the crate lengthwise and then came up, striking her in the chin unexpectedly and knocking her back as N’Haru’s feet landed on the crate. He turned quickly to face her, even as she stumbled back a step from the unexpected crack to the jaw from his use of his environment. As she stumbled, his Master swept in from one side, and Kazenna narrowly managed to deflect his lightsaber with her sai, though he countered well with the same movement when she attempted to land a strike with hers, deflecting with his shoto lightsaber.

 

As she detached herself from that, she looked for N’Haru and turned as he came down in a leaping strike toward her, the phrik of his staff whooshing through the air. A loud hum as she blocked it with her lightsaber, but his body was at that moment positioned inconveniently for her to counter with her sai, as he was beyond her reach. Even as his body descended to touch his feet on the ground, Shane came in from behind, forcing her to twist and block one blade with her sai, twisting and sending his shoto a half-dozen metres away, deactivating in the process. She turned aggressively as she extracted herself from N’Haru, but he lunged into the offensive as she moved toward his Master, staff sliding in between her thighs and then juddering violently to one side. The sudden inner-thigh lateral strike imbalanced her, and she stumbled to that side, then flipped and fell when he reversed the direction of his staff and slammed it into her other thigh as that leg was less stably on the ground. As she rotated and fell, Shane leapt for his shoto and rolled across the floor, grabbing it as he neared it then leaping back to his feet, whipping around and reactivating the light-dagger as he came to face her once more.

 

As his Master rearmed, N’Haru thrust, forcing Kazenna to roll, deactivating her long-handled lightsaber for an instant as she used it to push herself off the ground in a rolling leap. She whirled in midair and came back to her feet, again, where she noted that Shane had rearmed himself, but pressed N’Haru onto the defensive again while Shane closed the distance to reengage. The training session continued as such for several minutes longer as their newfound crewmates observed, intensely interested by the melee combat training before them.

 

“You see,” observed K’Cela after about thirty minutes of vigorous engagement with layers of subtext she was unable to follow, “this is why I’ll never get close to someone with a lightsaber. All that jumping, and flipping, and throwing things … I prefer to just shoot stuff or blow it up; this is why I’m sticking with my guns, grenades, and bombs.”

 

“There’s also the fact they can use the Force and you can’t,” Sor’A replied, “so giving you a lightsaber would be about as useful as testicles on a BD-34.”

 

“Very funny,” K’Cela replied, but then rolled her shoulders and added, “but also very accurate.” The training session continued until G’Brel entered with intent to notify that breakfast was prepared, and Kazenna finally signalled for an end to the session.

 

“That was an extraordinarily good training session. You two are in impressive synchronicity,” Kazenna praised as she deactivated her lightsaber, “Why didn’t you activate your lightsaber the entire session, though, N’Haru?”

 

“I had no reason to,” N’Haru replied, and she nodded.

 

“Well, you certainly did well enough without it; my jaw still hurts from that crack at the start; that was a clever use of your environment. If you’d done that with the blade side, that would’ve ended the match right there, a cleave like that with a lightsaber coming up into the jaw is pretty much a fatal hit with an unshackled lightsaber,” Kazenna replied, “I think you two have a good chance of being extremely dangerous to the Empire, together. For now, though, we’ll need food. I’m going to suspend the after-breakfast session because of how long this session went on, I think both of you are looking quite exhausted at the moment.” Breakfast for all three of them was somewhat delayed by Kazenna taking a brief moment to rinse, and then the boys doing the same, but the rest of the morning was theirs to enjoy on their own without any other training responsibilities, right away.


	5. Exit Strategy

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Nighthawk and her crew leave Bpfassh, but are pulled into an urgent diversion to nearby Denab...

After several more days, K’Shar reported that the ship was ready to leave the planet, and the crew took up operational positions as the cloaking device was reactivated within the concealment of the cavern. Of course, the marines and the twins took up positions at the gun turrets, as T’Lor and M’Kan positioned themselves at the helm. Even as K’Shar and G’Brel moved to the dorsal and ventral engineering stations, their Force-sensitive passengers moved to take position in additional seats in the pilot chamber.

 

“Kazenna,” K’Shar addressed her over the ship’s intercom, “can you tell if there are any Sith on any of those ships in the occupation fleet.”

 

“One moment,” she replied, then looked over her shoulder at Shane and N’Haru, “All right, boys, you remember what I was saying about pooling power?” They nodded, each placing a hand on one of her shoulders and concentrating on channeling their own energy and strength into hers, reaching out cautiously to test the cosmic void for any disturbances in the Force, any other presence. However, there was nothing to suggest that a dark Force-user was anywhere nearby, and so she shook her head faintly.

 

“Nothing I can sense would suggest the presence of any Sith in this area right now,” Kazenna replied, “Albeit, there is a likelihood of that changing in the foreseeable future. We should not linger.”

 

“Understood; T’Lor, bring the ship up to that I2SD,” K’Shar instructed, and the pilot nodded, gliding them smoothly, steadily up until they were near enough to slowly float into a docked position as Sor’A hacked their mainframe briefly, just long enough to disable any warning triggers right before they docked. The door opened, and K’Shar motioned for them to be quick, handing small devices to Sor’A and K’Cela, and then the twins, before looking expectantly towards Kazenna, Shane, and N’Haru.

 

“Going to need your help for this; T’Lor, M’Kan, G’Brel, and I, will remain on the ship. K’Cela is going to head for the ship’s engine mainframe with the twins to escort. Sor’A is going to head to the security centre, and he’s going to need help clearing it to make sure nobody gets off a warning that something’s up. Once there, he’s going to hack their security mainframe and disable all shipboard warnings and their communications receptors so they won’t be able to receive an external warning. I need you three to go with Sor’A to make sure it goes well; take these, touch the blue.” He handed each of them a belt with Zipthar hexa-crystal spheres embedded in it, with a blue button and a dim button that had a grey colour though it was unilluminated.

 

“Other button lights up when you hit the blue button; when you’re ready to uncloak, touch the white button. It won’t cover weapons fire, but it’ll cover your lightsabers, so try to use those if you can; oh, and be quiet. It does not conceal sound, so if you go storming down the halls like a herd of wild animals, they’re going to hear you,” K’Shar warned, to which the three of them nodded as they affixed the belts, then hit the blue buttons and vanished. They could see all of the others, being cloaked in the same manner, but as they boarded the ship and split up, they were able to slip past various patrols with soundless hand gestures. It wouldn’t do to have patrols spontaneously collapse either unconscious or dead in plain view of the security cameras while there was someone still alive to watch them. Fortunately, the halls were wide enough to slip past the patrolling troopers or to simply press against the wall and wait them out, until they reached the doors of the security centre, itself. Once there, they waited a few minutes until the door opened as someone approached the door from the inside, and they slid in.

 

Kazenna grabbed the departing figure in the doorway and used physical strength to snap his neck quietly as Shane pulled his long-handled lightsaber from the holster. Shane used it to suddenly seize another by the throat and crush his windpipe as N’Haru did the same with his staff, while Kazenna quickly took down first a fourth and then fifth with additional swift, silent neck-snaps. Meanwhile, Sor’A moved directly to the terminal and sat in an emptied seat without having to move it, and quickly began hacking into the terminal, remaining cloaked. Even as he worked, they quickly moved the bodies into nearby closets in case someone else arrived, which proved a wise decision as the doors opened, and another squad of four walked in. They paused and looked around.

 

“Where are they? They were supposed to be he-” started one before he suddenly found himself unable to breathe, and another joined in struggling for breath as a third fell to the ground abruptly, dead.

 

“What th-” started the last, before Kazenna snapped his neck too; he was followed down to the floor a second later by another two suffocated storm troopers with crushed windpipes.

 

“Quickly,” Kazenna urged in a hushed whisper.

 

“Got it,” Sor’A replied quietly, “K’Cela; all shipboard sensors, scanners, and alarms are disabled, incoming messages are blocked. It won’t last forever, we’ve got probably two hours before another shift comes to the security centre but we’ve probably got about ten minutes before one of the other ships notices this one’s dropped out of com chatter and sends a shuttle to investigate. We need to be gone before that.”

 

“Got it,” she said as they entered the engine room, and they watched on the security cameras as three engineers died at a time as they quickly cleared the room. The twins had brought their guns, as had K’Cela, but they must have been firing at literally point blank range for nothing to show up on the screen. People were simply falling dead with gunshot-style blood spatter visible even through the cameras, and they saw the colour of the engines themselves start changing.

 

“Ten seconds,” K’Cela reported, “anyone coming to investigate the engine room?”

 

“No, you’re clear.”

 

“Good, and… done,” K’Cela reported, “we have seven minutes to get off this ship.” At that, they quickly extracted to the Nighthawk, where the door opened and let them in quickly. It was faster, this time, because now they could simply kill any storm trooper they saw on their way, hastening their movement with nothing to stop them from using a more expedient path. As the door closed behind them, they touched the white buttons on the belt and removed them, giving the personal cloaking devices back to K’Shar as the Nighthawk tilted and veered sharply away, before swaying all of them as thrust was initiated. They returned to the small bridge as the Nighthawk whipped thousands of kilometres out from the Imperial II-class Star Destroyer, whipping around in time to watch it explode as a shuttle neared, destroying the shuttle with it.

 

“Beautiful,” K’Shar smiled grimly, “that’s forty-seven thousand fewer imperial soldiers over my planet, the bastards. All right, T’Lor, get us out of the system, we have to track down the Alliance and hand them over some stuff that our Jedi friends will appreciate.”

 

“Never thought we’d be calling the Jedi friends,” M’Kan replied, “but under the circumstances we can’t be selective, and if those holocrons are to be believed, at least two Jedi Masters in that Praxeum were Bpfasshi. What do you think, N’Haru?”

 

“I wouldn’t know, but I seem to recall hearing about Jedi Masters N’Kor Laer and R’Na Kaelon when I was in school. If that was really them, we can’t ignore what they said about the Dark Jedi being enemies of the Jedi just the same as the Sith,” N’Haru replied, and M’Kan nodded.

 

“I am sure the Jedi Order would be pleased to be invited back to Bpfassh when this war is over,” Kazenna assured, “I suspect any show of good faith the Bpfasshi might ask for, within reason, would likely be viewed receptively, as well.”

 

“All right, get us out of here, take us to Denab, we can decide what to do from there,” K’Shar said, over the intercom, and Kazenna nodded abruptly in answer to that statement.

 

“A rebel contact is currently there; we’ll be able to arrange handoff of the salvage and I can get information on some things we can do next for the alliance,” Kazenna said.

 

“Jumping to Denab,” T’Lor said in answer, swinging the ship around and accelerating as the hyperdrive charged, and then jumping to hyperspace when the engine was ready.

 

 

* * *

 

 

 

On their arrival, they found that there was an imperial fleet present here, as well, in the form of a Victory-class Star Destroyers, the Imperial Fourth Attack Squadron.

 

“Oh, look. Another imperial blockade,” Shane observed, “this’ll be loads of fun.”

 

“Approaching atmo, now,” T’Lor reported, bypassing Shane’s comment in the process, “What is our landing vector?” At the question, Kazenna tapped an encrypted transmitter and put it in her ear, listening for a moment before nodding, and relating a sequence of letters and numbers. A moment later, she related the coordinates and deactivated the contact transmitter, slipping it into a hidden pocket once more and then stretching her muscles a little.

 

“LZ sighted. Descending now,” T’Lor continued as he descended toward what appeared to be a highly affluent sector of the planet, with countless massive sprawling estates on hundreds of acres, each, with great manses, long driveways attached to longer boulevards that wound serpentine through what without houses and walls and hedges would have been a vast savanna.

 

“Our contact is disguised as Lady Windmere Wellen,” Kazenna informed as she directed T’Lor toward which lawn to drop them off at, “I have informed her that her contact for this mission will be a young human nobleman by the name of Laine Thorius and his Bpfasshi slave, K’Soku Trisk. Fortunately for you two, I actually have disguises in my own personal possession, recovered from the crash site while the ship was still being worked on, and some of them are for men.” As she spoke, she stood and led them out of the pilot chamber and down the ladder to deck three, finally moving to her door and opening it.

 

“I’ve had to pass myself off as a man, before, but given our proximity to Bpfassh, any unfamiliar zabrak is likely to garner special notice; a young nobleman and his alien slave, however? Well,” she said as she looked over her shoulder before stepping in, “just don’t have him blow you in the middle of the ballroom and you should receive no undesirable attention, young Lord Thorius. Our contact’s disguise has long yellow hair, with a circlet of braided hair around the crown area and she has grey eyes; be somewhat visible, she’ll find you. Make sure it’s very obvious to them that you own young K’Soku, here, this isn’t a function for Alliance nobility or kinky people: our contact is a deep cover spy, and this is a function for imperial assholes who will be expecting you to treat him as their version of a property item.”

 

“So basically be a jerk and make it up to him when we get home,” Shane replied, rubbing his forehead a bit before he accepted the garments she held out to him. Nicer than anything he’d ever worn in his life, frankly, whereas what she was handing his pet looked … not all that different from what he already had.

 

“Apparently slaves and orphaned street urchins dress the same as far as the imperials are concerned,” Shane observed, “Well, that doesn’t say much for the Empire.”

 

“You can both keep the clothes, you may need to go undercover again at some point and having a change of clothes never hurt anyone,” Kazenna said, shooing them out of her room gently, “Now, go get changed and get off the ship… Lady Wellen is waiting for you.”

 

On their return to their quarters and stripping down to put on their disguises, N’Haru was quick into his clothes, they were simple and comfortable, and not all that much to look at. A dull grey shirt of cotton-lined wool with long sleeves, a dull pair of pants in a darker shade of grey, a pair of black boots and a black leather belt with a durasteel buckle and he was done. It didn’t even include undergarments, apparently the imperials didn’t expect slaves or orphans to actually wear something like that, they apparently just figured slaves and orphans went commando to, what, save money?

 

Once he was in his own clothes, he knelt for his Master and helped his Owner into his own disguise while Shane was fumbling a bit with the buttons. N’Haru politely abstained comment on that, instead slipping a pair of silk boxers over his Master’s Feet as they moved cooperatively, then up to wrap the waistband about his Master’s Hips as his Master’s Eyes set down on him.

 

“You’ll get it later, pet, I promise,” Shane assured him, arching his hips to press the bulge of his cock against N’Haru’s beautiful grey lips where a soft vibration met it from his boy’s mouth, “Even if I might want it right now, myself.” As he returned his attention to fumbling with the buttons, N’Haru moved to pulling a pair of pants gently over his Owner’s Feet and then up to His Hips, as well, buttoning and zipping the fine garment of vibrant, silver-accented dark blue and then threading it with a quality leather belt with a fancy, silver-coloured belt buckle. This was followed by calf-height white cotton stockings of high thread count, and a pair of black leather boots with black laces, which N’Haru carefully and neatly laced up his Master’s Calves until they were set.

 

Shane, for his part, was still fumbling with the buttons, and growing a bit more irritated, as his slave dressed the rest of him while he was still having trouble with the buttons.

 

“Button this, slut,” Shane ordered finally, and N’Haru rose and obediently buttoned it for Him, slim fingers promptly, deftly buttoning it. His Master glowered faintly with irritation at how easy it was for his boy, turning him around and pushing him against the bed a little roughly, yanking his pants down and smacking him on the ass.

 

“Fracking little showoff bitch,” Shane said gruffly, but the soft sound of a whimpering sigh of pleasure from N’Haru was enough to break through his frustration and he smiled softly. He caressed his boy’s ass gently, then gave it another slap for symmetry, this time on the opposite cheek, and sighed in pleasure himself at the sound his pet made.

 

“Frack, I love you, you little slut,” Shane praised adoringly, roughly shifting his boy’s pants back up and then grabbing his hair, yanking him up and kissing him on the lips. He smiled as N’Haru melted into his arms for several moments, before he withdrew, straightened his shirt, and then reached for the overcoat, which was also dark blue in contrast to a white formal shirt with dark blue buttons. It didn’t have a tie, but that was hardly a necessity and for someone who’d never worn a tie in his life it was probably a better idea that it didn’t have one.

 

“You know, I probably shouldn’t attend a gala like this,” Shane said as he broke the kiss and looked down to his bulge between them, and N’Haru sank gently to his knees as his Master’s Hands slid from his face to his shoulders without pressure. One hand moved to his pants and unzipped, then unbuttoned, then pushed his pants and boxers down so his hard cock could be released for his boy, whose scalp he stroked with the fingers of his free hand.

 

“Go on, boy, you’ll get another helping when we get home, but your Master cannot attend a social gala with a stone pole in his pants, unless you want me to politely fuck one of the social bitches that’s going to be there,” Shane said. N’Haru’s lips slipped around the head of his cock and his boy started to bob his head gently, sliding his soft lips over the length of his cock lovingly, nursing on it submissively, hands resting on the belt and the waistband of his newest pair of pants. They felt nice under his hands, as he bobbed his head with his Master’s Fingers tangling in his hair, until Shane grabbed tighter and bucked hard into his mouth, seed surging out and directly down his boy’s throat for a few brief seconds. Lips tightened around his base and as he pulled his boy off his cock, N’Haru drained the last drops and swallowed them, then quickly zipped and buttoned his Master’s pants and buckled the belt again before standing and quickly licking his lips.

 

“All set,” he said, and Shane smiled at him lovingly, kissing his lips gently.

 

“Good boy. I promise you’ll get more when we get home, and I’ll even drain that sweet nectar you produce,” Shane promised his boy, who blushed and smiled at the praise of himself, his cock, and his cum. When they emerged from their quarters, Kazenna nodded as she looked them over, then produced a comb and promptly combed Shane’s hair in quick, firm strokes, before wriggling her fingers into N’Haru’s hair and tousling it aggressively. She stepped back and examined them once she was done, and then nodded.

 

“Good. They’ll be expecting Lord Laine Thorius to be handsome, with a sleekly handsome appearance for his youth, while expecting his slave to look used and controlled. Don’t do much on your own, remember to ask your Master for permission for pretty much everything; they’ll expect you to hit your slave firmly if he is seen to be messing up or if any of them bring him to you with a complaint. Your best bet is to be seen and not heard, and to remain close to your Master’s side at all times, so that you don’t have to kill anyone. Killing anyone generally tends to turn covert operations messy. Keep in mind, part of your backstory is that you are from the planet Belazura; it’s a wealthy world renowned for beautiful mountains, a very popular resort, and surgeons who can make you look twenty years younger. May want to make a joke that you don’t need that yet, if someone comments on the planet; also, remember that Belazura is one of the planets in the Colonies region of the galaxy, you don’t want to blow your cover by messing that up, obviously.” They nodded their understanding as she spoke.

 

“Got it; keep beside me, pet, or I may be forced to hit you to maintain cover,” Shane said, though he sounded reluctant and displeased at the idea.

 

“Of course, Master, just don’t send me to fetch anything,” N’Haru replied and his Master nodded in agreement to that.

 

“Lady Wellen will draw you somewhere quiet, you won’t have to worry about code-words or anything like that, she’ll approach you and feign having heard of you in social circles away from Denab,” Kazenna advised as she climbed the ladder to the cargo deck ahead of them.

 

“Windmere Wellen is an extremely successful short-haul trader, which is how that cover identity comes to attend the gala,” she continued as Shane climbed the ladder, and then continued as N’Haru climbed up last, “That’ll be what her ostensible reason will be for approaching you. She’ll be approaching you as a potential wealthy client who might have imperially-approved commodities that you need relocated; that’s when she’ll want to discuss potential arrangements in private, standard procedure for business discussions. It won’t draw attention to move off somewhere a little bit out of sight, especially if you station your slave in the intermediary position where he’ll be a few metres from you but he will be visible where you and Lady Wellen are not.”

 

“Got it,” Shane replied, as they approached the ramp while the ship maintained a position hovering close to the ground enough to jump out, but not enough to demonstrate that they were there.

 

“Lastly, I’ve arranged transport through another rebel contact on Denab who is posing as a chauffeur; they will bring you to the gala,” Kazenna said informatively as they reached the end of the ramp, “Your cover identity was officially invited by the Lady hosting the party. Once we were aboard, I took the opportunity to fabricate some images of you in combination with shipboard images, replacing the background with images from Belazura. The hostess noted your reputed handsomeness and strong standing, supported by rebel agents on Belazura, and put out feelers to invite you to attend, which our operatives were able to facilitate ‘reaching you.’ Her name is Lora Caine; you have not made her a commitment at this point, and you should not react as if you recognize her if she does happen to encounter you, since you have politely indicated in your e-mails that you would like to be pleasantly surprised by her appearance. It is very much a possibility that you may not see her, our agents are prepared with an excuse for that which will not compromise your cover, in case we need to use this identity again at some point. Good luck, Lord Thorius.”

 

“Thanks,” he said as he hopped off the end of the ramp and descended about eight feet to the ground, followed by his boy, and then watching the ship vanish from sight as the ramp closed, since the cloak was still active. Now it was just a matter of waiting for their first contact, their transportation.

 

It was only a few long moments before they saw it approach, black and gold-trimmed, by itself worth more credits by far than anything they had ever owned themselves, and clearly new. The TR-14a Land Carrier approached, with their pilot in the back, who nodded as he came to a stop and tapped buttons that would open the doors to a more luxurious compartment inside than they’d ever really imagined before.

 

“Lord Laine Thorius and slave?” queried the driver, and when they nodded, he gestured expressively for them to board the carrier, closing the doors behind them once they were situated inside. It proved to be a short ride, roughly a couple kilometres if they had to guess, before the vehicle stopped once more in front of the extravagant manse of whoever it was that was hosting. Clearly not a short-haul trader named Windmere Wellen, was all Shane could estimate about it, but one gala was just as traumatic as another, he suspected. He watched his pet exit the vehicle, as they’d discussed it a bit and had come to decisions that would help to visibly debase his pet which his pet was comfortable accepting in their cover identity. N’Haru moved out first, then knelt down and straightened his back, waiting for only a moment as Shane stood and stepped out of the carrier onto his back, using his back like the step of a short stairwell. N’Haru kept his head steady as he lowered himself a bit further until his Master could step comfortably off his back onto the ground, then rose to his feet and followed, behind and at his Master’s left-hand side. It was a bit of familiarity, just a touch of real identity, but there was some unlikelihood that it would be connected with them since their enemies never knew it was a Master-and-slave duet they were fighting.

 

“Lord Thorius, I presume?” asked a servant as they approached the front doorway, though they knew there were rooms with windows looking out front for the gawkers that liked to see people arrive, so their showy arrival was important.

 

“Correct,” he said cordially, “I believe I am expected.”

 

“Of course, my lord, of course,” said the servant obsequiously, “Apologies for any miscommunications upon my part. My Lady wishes to express her welcome to her modest home; she knows it is not as fine an environment as you are of course accustomed to, but she hopes that you will find the atmosphere tolerable.”

 

“Thank you, servant,” Shane said as he imagined what kind of person Laine Thorius must be if this extravagant manse was ‘modest compared to what he was used to,’ and decided he already disliked who he was pretending to be tonight. The servant nodded promptly and moved out of the way, pressing open the door and allowing the lavish environment of the party wash out into the night and waft past them. He had to admit, it smelled nice, at least, though he felt badly that his pet wasn’t going to get to eat any of the goodies whose fragrant scents were already reaching into their nostrils. A wealthy young imperial lord, after all, did not treat his nonhuman, thereby subhuman, possession, to fine foods, and it rankled him to have to deny his pet because other people were assholes. Still, there was no harm in testing the goods, at least the ones that smelled like they were likely to satiate the taste buds, and mingle a bit to make it known that the young Lord Laine Thorius had arrived at the ‘party’ to ‘celebrate’ imperial supremacy. It didn’t escape his notice how many humans were around, and how many nonhumans had collars on their throats and controlled, muted expressions.

 

It made him want to strike something, especially with a similar collar having been temporarily affixed onto N’Haru’s throat and seeing his boy feign the demeanour of those undoubtedly living a far harsher existence. He used to think it was bad being an orphan and a street-urchin, surviving on the streets, but he decided that being collared like this, and treated the way these people treated their involuntary slaves, was definitely worse. It grated on him, but he played his part, sampled some of the meats and some of the fruits, certainly more of the latter for his boy’s later enjoyment when they returned to the ship. Finally, though, he was approached by a man likely about ten years his elder and shadowed by a female Twi’lek, for whom Shane felt instant sympathy, though he made sure not to let it show.

 

“You must be Lord Thorius. A pleasure to see one of the Lords of the colonies out here in our humble, rural estates; I saw you as you arrived, and I must admit, I didn’t know a Bpfassh had the strength required to serve as a stepstool. I would use my slave like that, but I’m quite sure a Twi’lek couldn’t handle it,” he said as he approached, before finally extending a hand in greeting. He was about four centimetres taller and a half-dozen kilograms heavier, probably, with green eyes and black hair that accented a fine tan.

 

“The name’s Donovan Keer, Lord from a modest planet nearby. Obviously, not a Lord on the same level as you are, of course, but we do what we can to keep them in line out here, I’m sure you understand,” the man continued, as Shane forced himself to accept the man’s hand and shake hands with him even as he wanted to knock him out.

 

“Of course, and I assure you, we’re grateful to you. You should visit the Colonies, sometime. I must confess to missing the mountains, Belazura’s beautiful this time of year, but, well, I’ve heard a lot in my circles about the quality of Outer Rim parties, so when I received the invitation from Lady Caine, I thought to myself, well, why not? Everyone should attend an Outer Rim gala at least once in their life, right?”

 

“Oh, yes, of course,” replied Donovan Keer in a voice Shane recognized as bearing a faintly sycophantic tone to it, as a man attempting to ply his way into the good grace of his societal better, and there was a part of Shane that enjoyed that element.

 

 _Being a spy is nothing like I thought it’d be_ , Shane thought to himself, _guess it isn’t all bad, though. If I didn’t have to act like my slave was a piece of meat, going undercover might even be pretty fun._

 

“Of course, it’s nothing like the parties we have in the colonies, you realize. Especially on Belazura, parties there are far more luxurious, not so sparse as this,” he said, feigning that being in the same building as a couple hundred of the richest people in the Outer Rim was bland and like all the noise was practically quiet.

 

“I can only imagine. I had heard of the parties in the Colonies, of course, but one can never attempt to attend such an extravagant gathering uninvited, and, well, you have to know someone to be invited to an event like that,” which was his way of saying he’d like an invitation. It was also his way of saying, Shane surmised, that he was honoured to be in the presence of such an esteemed personage since the lords and ladies of the Colonies apparently barely saw Outer Rim nobility as being nobility at all.

 

 _Noble enough to attend a party, though, obviously_ , Shane observed to himself quietly.

 

“You know, my Lord, I actually had a proposition for you. You are likely unaware, and of course understandably so, that my lands include some of the finest…”

 

“Apologies for the interruption, Lord Keer,” said a servant abruptly, one dressed identically to the doorman, which thereby suggested he was a servant of the hostess, interrupting, “my Lady has heard of his Lordship’s arrival, and has requested that I extend her urgent request for his company.” Shane got the feeling that under normal circumstances, a servant interrupting a local lord would have been grounds for someone being struck. Apparently being interrupted by the servant of the hostess of the party, and interrupted by a servant who had been specifically instructed to interrupt, was an exception to that rule.

 

“Of course; I was simply ensuring his Lordship felt welcomed and appreciated at our humble gathering,” Lord Keer replied, nodding politely to the young Lord Thorius before excusing himself. The servant for their part simply led him up a curving stair, disregarding the Bpfassh servant trailing behind him on his left-hand side and within arm’s reach, until they reached the landing and the servant motioned toward the door. Two additional servants opened the door and revealed a balcony that was shielded by windows and curtains that could give it a sense of privacy and luxury both at the same time. The woman, herself, was a redheaded twenty-two-year-old with freckles and blue-green irises, standing a couple centimetres shorter than Shane was, and a little lighter than he was. She had pert, round breasts, and he admired her weight: she had the look of a woman healthy and athletic, with a nutritious diet that said she knew how to eat and she knew how to maintain her own wellness. For the moment, the curtains were drawn to halfway, giving a view out over the grounds while granting an illusion of some level of privacy, and she was dressed in a glittering evening gown of gold-accented sapphire blue.

 

“An honour to meet you, Lord Thorius, and a privilege to have one of the Lords of Belazura in my humble home; may I ask, how have you found my modest villa?”

 

“Quaint, but cozy,” Shane replied as he stepped up beside her and put his hands on the rail of the balcony, looking out over it, “of course, I realize this is extravagant, by the standards of the Outer Rim. You seem, however, to know how to put on a fine gala, with what little you must have available, living so far out from most true civilization.” She didn’t flinch or wince at his phrasing even as he tried to sound as much like a pompous ass as he imagined colonial lords in good with the Empire must have sounded. She simply nodded in answer.

 

“Of course, my Lord, and may I say, thank you for your kindly words,” she said, though remaining quiet enough that if he wanted to speak he wouldn’t even need to put much effort into having the floor, metaphorically.

 

“I think you would make quite an impressive introduction for yourself in the Colonies, if you were ever perhaps to be able to host a party there. Imagine how much more you would have available to work with for it?” he said, to which she offered an enthusiastic nod, before he looked over toward her once more, “However, I believe you mentioned in your communications that you were hoping to discuss something a bit more… personal, than that.”

 

“Oh! Yes,” she replied, then quickly ushered her own servants off the balcony, turning to look toward her guest and his slave.

 

“Apologies, Madam, but my slave never leaves my side when I am in the Outer Rim. I have had my share of run-ins, with pirates and assassins and rebel sympathizers, after all,” Shane replied to Lora’s focus on his pet. She frowned for a heartbeat then recovered quickly and nodded in answer, closing the doors and barring them shut.

 

“Of course, my Lord, I understand entirely. You can never be too careful, after all, how foolish of me to expect your faith and trust when we’ve only but just met,” she recovered promptly, rejoining him, “I was hoping that there might be a way that I might entice you to grant me something fairly significant. As I mentioned in my letter, I’ve been trying for the last two years to make a move from the Outer Rim to the Inner Rim, and I’ve come to learn that this is simply not something one just does. One must first progress into the Middle Rim, then to the Expansion Region, for years at a time, and I would be very fortunate at such a pace to be welcomed into the social circles of the Inner Rim by the age of seventy.”

 

“Indeed, and you would quite potentially never be invited to marry a member of one of the houses of us in the Colonies, obviously,” Shane replied with a feigned excess of self-worth that made him groan inwardly. Lora only nodded quickly in answer to that, she understood her place in a society that Shane wanted little to nothing to do with, at all.

 

“Of course, my Lord, of course, and I would never think to request the honour of being your Lady,” she assured him, promptly, “However, as I understand it, the great houses of the Colonies do often take vassal houses, lesser nobilities who serve their interests in the broader galaxy. Of course, as a noblewoman of the Outer Rim, I have little use to you, but if you were to grant me the honour of … well, allowing me to carry your child, I would be welcomed in the Inner Rim, where I could then be quite useful to you. As you’re no doubt aware, of course, there’re any number of ways in which you could benefit from such an arrangement, and if I were carrying your child, high society of the Inner Rim would then be obliged to attend. I could serve your ends quite effectively, without you having to dirty your hands in the politics of those beneath you, and…” She went on until he lifted a hand to stop her.

 

“You make a very compelling case, but as you must be aware,” Shane said, and left it hanging.

 

“Of course, I understand, you must receive a large number of propositions such as this. I should by no means be simply granted it without demonstrating the proper submission and obedience, to show that I would be the better choice as a representative of your interests in the Inner Rim. You must have received many offers from ladies already established in the Inner Rim,” she acknowledged, covering her bases and trying to think of a way to appeal to the young Lord’s interests. Then it occurred to her since she was already asking him for something that was overtly sexual, in requesting to carry his child so she could further his interests, there was only one course to take.

 

“My Lord, I believe that I know a way in which I could distinguish myself and show that I am worthy of receiving the trust that I am asking of you,” she said, as she turned bodily toward him and looked up at him. Shane was immediately able to recognize the submissive expression and the sparkle of it in her eyes, as she looked up at him as sensuously as she could. She stepped close, maintaining eye contact as she waited to see what he would say, her body as near to his as she dared to get while still standing. He tried to think of what Laine Thorius would say, somewhat haughty young rich-fuck of the Colonies that he was, and then smiled faintly at her.

 

“Very well, I will grant you the opportunity to prove yourself worthy of serving me,” he said, then looked immediately over at his slave and snapped his fingers. N’Haru approached quickly, obediently, doing his best to mask his feelings about the nature of the discussion between Lady Caine and his Master.

 

“You wish to prove yourself a worthy sexual partner and potential carrier for my noble blood,” he said, before stepping back and physically pulling his slave between them, facing her, “Then you must first kneel for my slave, K’Soku. You must demonstrate your prowess for my entertainment and satisfaction.” She blinked at him, eyes widening at just how far she’d need to go to get what she wanted, but she didn’t snap or bark or dare offend one of the young Lords of the Colonies, and so instead she slowly reached back to start to remove her dress.

 

“Of course, my Lord,” she answered meekly, cheeks flushing but not nearly as red as her hair, though her tone made it clear she didn’t want to go down on an alien, much less an alien slave. Still, Shane stood behind his pet and watched her, putting his hands on his slave’s hips and unbuckling his belt while whispering softly in N’Haru’s ear.

 

“She’s not going to take no for an answer, so we don’t have much choice. Nod if you are willing to do this,” he said low enough that he could barely hear it himself, but he knew, between the proximity of his mouth to N’Haru’s ear and the slight differences in Bpfassh audition, his pet heard it. The nineteen-year-old nodded quickly in answer, he hadn’t expected the night to go like this, the plan was get it, talk to one woman not the hostess, and get out, but plans rarely survived the first encounter with the enemy. It occurred to him he was going to get to fuck an imperial bitch, and that stirred a bit of an aggressive arousal in him, his cock hardening in his pants as his Master unbuckled his belt.

 

“Good boy,” Shane whispered before stepping back as his slave’s hands moved to unbutton and unzip his pants, while the redhead’s dress fell around her ankles, revealing clean white lingerie. She quickly pulled the curtains shut, and her panties and brassiere soon fell on top of her evening gown, as she looked at the Bpfassh slave and swallowed a little, perhaps nervous that she might actually like it. Blue-green irises went quickly to Lord Thorius, waiting for instruction as she stood nude, and he nodded firmly toward his slave’s cock.

 

“Kneel, girl,” Shane ordered, his natural Dominance rising as he commanded her the same as he’d have commanded any sub looking to become His. She knelt subserviently before His slave, eyes remaining on him as she waited to hear him command her further, and he nodded.

 

“Don’t look at me, look at his cock,” he ordered, and she obeyed immediately, “You don’t look at me again until I let you. Got it?”

 

“Yes, my Lord, as You command,” she replied submissively, and he nodded with a faint smile of lordly satisfaction.

 

“Good, now, put your mouth on his cock, girl. I want to see how well you attend to a cock with your mouth, before I give you the privilege of tending to mine,” he said, and she closed her eyes and swallowed a little.

 

“Yes, Sir, of course, I understand,” she replied more thoroughly than needed, then took a deep breath and blushed as N’Haru’s attractive scent flowed into her nostrils, and forced herself to go for it. She leaned forward quickly, until her lips pressed hard against the head of his cock, and she let it part her lips as the grey shaft slid into her mouth and then hit the back of her throat, causing her to cough faintly. Her cheeks tainted redder as she realized that her Lord’s slave actually tasted quite nice in her mouth, and it wasn’t especially uncomfortable.

 

“Good girl,” he said, smirking faintly as he saw the telltale shiver ripple through her that said she liked it when he said that, “Now, K’Soku. Grab her head.” Her eyes fluttered open as she felt the Bpfassh slave’s hands on her head, getting a good grip, preventing her from moving her head but not actually doing anything yet, either. She looked to Shane as if she had a good idea what was coming, though.

 

“Fuck her mouth, K’Soku,” he ordered, and his slave thrust to the hilt with a sharp buck. Shane watched the youthful local Lady’s eyes widening a little as she coughed and choked on it, but didn’t resist and apparently didn’t bite him, as N’Haru started riding her mouth firmly. He pulled back, and then thrust again, fucking her aggressively, releasing some of his tension and anger toward the Empire by fucking an imperial socialite hard. Shane had to admit, he liked seeing a racist imperial bitch voluntarily letting herself to be skull-fucked by an alien, and worse yet, seemingly liking it. He let her take it for a couple minutes before he snapped his fingers, and his slave stopped moving his hips, at which point she coughed and choked for a few seconds before she caught her breath and realized he wasn’t still fucking her mouth.

 

“Suck him, girl,” he ordered, and she quickly started to suck, bobbing her head on his cock fast and hard, taking it to the hilt after he’d just opened her throat pretty aggressively. His cock had started to produce precum, and she’d found out just how nice it tasted, and so she bobbed her head with a zealous enthusiasm, not just because she was a socialite who saw a way to advance her station but because he actually tasted good. She sucked hard, moaning loudly to grant him pleasurable vibrations as she sought to demonstrate her skill with her mouth to her potential Lord. His status as a son of one of the noble families of the Colonies dramatically outranked her in the noble hierarchy of the Empire, and that meant if she wanted to advance, he was one of the ones that could make it happen. N’Haru closed his eyes with a soft groan of pleasure as he felt her going for it enthusiastically, desperately wanting it, he could tell she liked how he tasted by how her tongue was just everywhere.

 

“Master, I’m…”

 

“Do it, slave,” he ordered, and N’Haru yanked on her head, pulling back until only the head was in her mouth, before filling her mouth with his release. His seed surged out onto her tongue, her cheeks tainting a red that almost rivalled her hair as she took it in her mouth without hesitation or resistance.

 

“Stick your tongue out, girl,” he ordered, and her tongue extended, where N’Haru squeezed out the last drops of his release onto it, “Swallow.” She quickly pulled in her tongue and swallowed, continuing to blush deeply, having just sucked off an alien slave, but if it got her the social advancement she wanted, it was worth it.

 

“Good girl. I think you liked sucking my slave’s cock like that, though,” he said, and she nodded submissively to that statement, unable to voice that she’d liked sucking an alien boy’s dick or that she liked how his seed tasted. She heard the zipper and button, then the belt buckling, as the slave put his cock away, shivering as she felt his hand in her hair, tousling her hair as if to tell her she’d done well. She kept her eyes shut as she heard them moving by their boot-steps, then felt different fingers in her hair and the sound of a different belt being unbuckled, different pants being unbuttoned and unzipped, as a new cock pressed to her lips.

 

“All right, I will let you suck mine,” he said, and pushed into her mouth. Even as he started to fuck her mouth quick and hard, N’Haru found he didn’t mind getting head from an imperial bitch, or watching his Master fuck one’s mouth, either, as she knelt and took it without complaint or resistance. She moaned gently as he pumped his larger cock down her throat, giving him pleasurable vibrations until he pulled out and came on her face. He squeezed out the last drops, wiping it off on the bridge of her nose and then chuckling a little bit in satisfaction with a faint wink to his slave before looking at the kneeling noblewoman.

 

“I would say you have made an excellent first impression, so far. I think it is fair to say that you’ve demonstrated very well how far you’re willing to go in service to House Thorius,” he said, zipping and buttoning his pants, then buckling his belt as he took a step back, surveying the cum-splattered imperial noble and liking what he saw.

 

“Thank You, my Lord. What would You wish me to do with…”

 

“Eat it,” he ordered, and she quickly proceeded to clean her face and breasts with her fingers, slipping them into her mouth and eating his release as commanded, until she was cleaned up, “Good girl. Now, you may open your eyes and get dressed. I will very strongly consider your proposal; I believe House Caine could prove quite useful to the interests of my family; not in the Colonies, of course, but certainly in the Inner Rim.” He didn’t really like acting like an asshole but that was his opinion of most of the highest-ranking nobility members of the Empire, and based on her reactions it seemed he wasn’t completely wrong.

 

“Yes, my Lord, thank You for permitting to demonstrate my worth to You, this evening, and thank You for accepting the invitation,” she replied, opening her eyes and smiling submissively up toward him before standing up and getting dressed quickly. She opened the curtains, then opened the windows and blushed as she took a breath of the cool night air to refresh herself, before turning to look at her Lord again. She didn’t look at his slave now, she couldn’t really get herself to do so knowing she’d sucked him off and not only enjoyed it, but had eaten his jism and loved the taste of it on her tongue.

 

“You are quite welcome. You’ve certainly demonstrated the appropriate respect for your betters,” he answered coolly, the night having gone so far much different than he had expected. He wondered how he’d report this back to Kazenna, but he was sure rebel intelligence would find some way to handle it, and let the Nighthawk know if Lord Thorius was going to be forced to come back to Denab.

 

“Now, I do have some other matters that I must attend to, I believe I saw a few of your invitees who might have use to my family. They may not all be the exceptionally good girl you are,” he said, smiling in satisfaction as he saw that faint shiver of satisfaction as he called her that again, “but they’ve got their uses.”

 

“Of course, my Lord, I understand, completely. I did invite a number of people I felt might be useful to you,” she said, and he paused and half-turned toward her with a faint smile.

 

“Did you, now?” came the response, “What a good girl you are, Lora.” She shivered in satisfaction again at the phrase, as N’Haru kept his back turned and assumed a detached posture. He didn’t mind, of course, he was praised as a good boy plenty frequently and if his Master wanted a girl, too, he wouldn’t have minded having a sister, metaphorically at least. If it turned out to be this imperial, well, he couldn’t deny that turning an imperial into a rebel would benefit them all, and she did suck cock pretty nicely.

 

“Thank You, my Lord. I wish only to be of worth and service to you,” she said, before quickly summoning one of her servants as soon as she reopened the balcony doors. She quickly provided him a list of twenty wealthy local persons, some marked as potential rebel sympathizers he might wish to deal with as a young lord of the Empire, others marked as members of Denab’s economic elite or very successful local interplanetary traders. It amused him to note that Lady Windmere Wellen was on the latter list, who was apparently impressively but not extraordinarily successful, as Lady Caine’s own estimate put her at a few hundred thousand credits a year.

 

“You have been most helpful indeed, Lady Caine,” he said properly, now that there were people able to hear them and she was back to acting the part of the respectable hostess who had not just gone down on an alien slave and swallowed.

 

“It has been my honour to be of assistance to you, Lord Thorius. I hope that I will hear from you, again,” she said as he nodded, then turned and departed, walking outside with his slave, where he soon found himself being approached by a woman older than the hostess. Not particularly old, but certainly older than the hostess, once he was out onto the open terrace, and she extended a hand quickly, though she was not dressed in a dress like many of the women, which meant she was definitely not a debutante.

 

“Pardon me, but you look remarkably like a nobleman I’ve heard much about. You wouldn’t be Lord Thorius, by any chance, would you?”

 

“Indeed I would, Madam,” he replied, accepting her hand and shaking it, receiving a strong grip in response, “Might I inquire as to whom you might be?”

 

“Windmere Wellen,” she greeted.

 

“Ah, yes, I believe Lady Caine mentioned you were an impressively successful and trustworthy trader,” Shane replied, and she nodded.

 

“Indeed, indeed. I pride myself on my ability to quickly move large amounts of imperially approved commodities that any number of wealthy clients might find of use. I have actually been hoping to relocate my business to the Colonies, though, and was hoping for the patronage of one of the noble families. I must say, Belazura has always been the one I like most,” she said, feigning a socially subservient demeanour, but he could tell the difference between someone of her stature and someone like Lady Caine. Lady Caine was looking to advance, but this woman struck him as being far above even his alleged social standing as the scion of Colonial nobility of high repute.

 

“Truly?” replied Shane feigning the role of charismatically charmed Colonial Lord as best he could, “Well, I think we should perhaps seek somewhere quieter to discuss what you might offer to the Thorius family in exchange for such a patronage.” He replied, walking alongside her with his slave following quietly behind them both until she nodded her head faintly and they veered into a quieter section where they couldn’t be seen even from the mansion’s balconies.

 

“You know, for an orphan, you’re not half bad at pretending to be a colonial noble,” the rebel spy said as she cut past pleasantries and mystique once they could safely bypass the doublespeak since he wasn’t trained for espionage, but in fact was learning in the field by doing well enough to not get shot.

 

“Thanks,” he replied, “It’s not as hard as I thought it’d be.”

 

“Good, because we may need Lord Thorius more than we need whoever you actually are, but for right now, whatever important stuff you found, that’s fine, we’ll arrange pickup, but there’s something even more important I need out of you. Or more particularly out of our mutual acquaintance, but you’ll have to do as an intermediary; we’ve lost contact with one of our agents elsewhere in the Outer Rim. Tell our mutual acquaintance, it’s CC-374, she’ll know what that means and where he’s at, that’s all you need to know to go mitigate the situation. Now, she mentioned some extremely significant salvage…”

 

“A number of holocrons from the Praxeum on Bpfassh, including holocrons from two Jedi Masters from my slave’s species,” Shane replied, and she nodded quickly, “We can’t let those fall into enemy hands or they’ll be destroyed and it’ll deprive our people of vital elements of our history; these holocrons needed to be safeguarded, and returned once Bpfassh is free.” The woman didn’t miss the subtext inherent in anything he’d said, and she nodded quickly in answer, pulling out a pad and tapping through several screens rapidly before passing him coordinates.

 

“We’ll have a captured Venator at these coordinates to handle the transfer of the cargo, the Empire doesn’t know we have it and it’s been extremely helpful. They’ll ask for a code word for verification; the code word is Bastila,” Lady Windmere answered, and he nodded quickly, before they resumed the charade and walked back into an area wherein they could be seen.

 

“A pleasure, Lord Thorius, and I assure you, you will not be disappointed by the rewards for your patronage,” she said as they shook hands, before whispering, “Stay another hour then excuse yourself on family business.” After that, she excused herself and departed back into the party on the grounds of ‘other business interests to pursue,’ for the benefit of anyone in earshot.

 

Shane, meanwhile, turned and proceeded to continue mingling, quietly walking through the crowd with his slave just within arm’s reach to his left and behind him, until a new familiar face appeared.

 

“Ah, there you are, my Lord, I was hoping I might bump into you again when you were finished conducting business with our esteemed hostess,” said Donovan Keer as he reappeared. Shane sighed inwardly, determined not to cause an unexpected scene by knocking out a local lord and simply accepting the fact he would have to mingle with this idiot, at least until he could extricate himself and his pet smoothly.

 

“Ah, Mister Keer, I believe it was?”

 

“Yes, my Lord, honoured that you remembered. As I had been saying, my lands include some of the finest herds of nerfs in the Outer Rim, and it occurred to me that, perhaps, we could…” The night, then, got spontaneously a bit more interesting for a little while, as another local lord overheard his comments and, Shane presumed him to be a local lord who attained his lordship by nerf-herding as well, got into fisticuffs over the assurance. He looked over at N’Haru, motioning down at the ground in front of him, and once N’Haru was in position he leaned back against a wall and put one foot up on his pet’s back, striking a pose of confident, somewhat condescending amusement. It lasted about eight minutes before the hostess gained attention with a loud bell sound resonating through the room, her cheeks flushing as she saw the slave she’d sucked and swallowed for being used as a footrest.

 

“There will be no brawling in the presence of our great and noble Lord Thorius, not at one of my parties. You are both politely requested to leave,” she instructed firmly, while Shane maintained an expression of casual amusement while she approached and curtsied low with humility.

 

“Apologies, my Lord, I hope they were not too uncouth for you,” she said hopefully, looking up at him respectfully.

 

“You needn’t fear, Lady Caine, two men demonstrating the lowness of their true standing in the galaxy is not enough to dismiss my interest in the arrangement we’ve discussed,” he said, removing his foot from N’Haru’s back and thusly permitting his slave to rise to his feet again as his Master focused on the Lady of the manse.

 

“I am honoured and privileged to hear that, my Lord,” she said warmly, watching until he gave a faint gesture and she immediately recognized it. He’d seen it used a few times as a street urchin, and when he did it to her, she immediately curtsied low.

 

“Yes, my Lord, of course,” she said, quickly excusing herself from his presence, gravitating a small distance from him but not going too far away, in case he wanted something. Then, he proceeded to locate some additional fruit to make sure his reward for his loyal and wonderful pet would be that much sweeter, eating a bit before looking around for just a moment before seeing Lady Caine once more. A single slight gesture of his wrist and she was before him once more.

 

“Yes, my Lord?”

 

“It is getting late, and I do have family business that I must attend to,” he said, and she nodded quickly.

 

“I shall summon your chauffeur, my Lord,” she said subserviently, and he offered a faint hint of a smile and a nod as he watched her leave, then return, “Your chauffeur will be here any moment, my Lord. If it would not be an intrusion, might I accompany you outside while you wait?”

 

“You may,” he answered, and she almost-but-not-quite led the way to the front door, walking outside with him into the cool night air and standing with him as his pet lingered nearby.

 

“I must confess, my Lord,” she said, once they were out of anyone’s earshot, “I was honoured to tend to your needs, this evening. If I may inquire, my Lord, there is a question I would like to ask of you.”

 

“You may, girl,” he replied coolly, looking over at her quietly, with a confident and somewhat haughty version of an expression of interest.

 

“I would like to know, truthfully, an estimation of my chances at becoming your chosen vassal. I know I am unlikely to be your first choice, there must be many ladies already established in the Inner Rim seeking such a privilege, but…”

 

“If I do decide to choose a vassal to represent my family’s interests in the Inner Rim, it would be my great preference to uplift a good girl like you,” he said, smiling faintly at her shiver of pleasure at the phrase, receptive to his touch as he touched his fingers to the underside of her chin. She arched her muscles a bit, rising a little with his touch to show her submission to him, and he smiled.

 

“After all, if I uplift a good girl from the Outer Rim to be my vassal, your loyalty would be to me alone, utterly devoid of the baggage and conflicts that come with those glitterati, those colonial wannabes. You know your place, after all, don’t you?”

 

“Yes,” she whispered, tremulously.

 

“Of course you do,” he teased condescendingly, since she seemed to like being spoken down to, “meanwhile, the little snobs of the Inner Rim social scene think they’re just going to marry about their station, get something free that their parents had to actually work for. You, though, you’ve shown me you’re willing to work hard to earn your way from being a local somebody in the Outer Rim to being a respected Lady in the Inner Rim.” As he spoke, he gently stroked the underside of her chin, as he’d noticed it seemed to arouse her submission, before he slipped his fingers around her neck and leaned close.

 

“Isn’t that right, you little slut?” the eighteen-year-old asked in a soft whisper into her ear, feeling a shiver pass through her throat under his hand as she slipped her arms around him submissively while his chauffeur pulled up to the manse.

 

“Yes, Sir,” she whispered in answer with servility, before pulling back and looking up to make eye contact, “I promise, you won’t be disappointed if you pick me to be your vassal.” Shane nodded, then gestured with his head, and quietly the twenty-one-year-old followed him around to the far side of the carriage where nobody inside could see them. He pressed her against the carriage exterior even as the chauffeur sighed and waited patiently, then blinked with his eyes widening a little as Shane lifted the girl’s dress. She arched her body against the carriage as she felt his hands sliding up her thighs, letting her Lord do what he pleased, lifting her dress until it was completely out of the way. He pulled her panties down then, watching them drop to the dirt around her ankles, her now bare ass exposed to his eyes, to his slave’s eyes, even to the chauffeur, who was appropriately stunned.

 

“Step out of them, girl,” he ordered, and she complied, lifting one foot and allowing him to take her panties, which he tossed to his slave with a smirk. Then, he brought his free hand down on her bare ass with a loud, clear crack, followed by a whimpering sigh of pleasure as she arched her breasts against the carriage.

 

“You like that, girl?”

 

“Y-Yes, Sir,” she murmured softly.

 

“You want more, girl?”

 

“Please… please, my Lord,” she whimpered pleadingly, and he smirked a little bit as he let her dress drop gently down into place once more and turned her to face him. He kissed her gently on the lips for only a moment then pulled back.

 

“If you behave yourself and be a very good girl for me, the next time you see me, I will give you a great deal more,” he assured her with a smile, “Now, how trusted a servant is your doorman?”

 

“Extremely trusted, my Lord,” she replied.

 

“Call him over,” Shane ordered, and her eyes widened but she nodded obediently in answer, whistling sharply as her Lord released her and took a step back, straightening his garments while she straightened her dress.

 

“Yes, my Lady?” asked her doorman as he appeared.

 

“My Lord, this is Jans, my doorman,” she introduced, and he nodded then looked back toward her.

 

“You are likely going to need to change clothes when you return inside. You are not to put on panties when you switch dresses, and are not to wear panties again until I give you permission to put on panties in my presence. The next time I see you, I will expect assurances from Jans that you have obeyed me, and if you have, I will give you everything you have asked me for. Am I clear?”

 

“Yes, my Lord, I understand,” she replied immediately, her servant a bit wide-eyed and amazed but remaining silent, “a question, my Lord.”

 

“Yes, Miss Caine?”

 

“Am I permitted to continue to wear brassieres?”

 

“A very good observation; no, you are not, remove the one you’re wearing,” Shane replied, and she turned to Jans and looked at him over her shoulder.

 

“Jans, unzip my dress, remove my brassiere, and give it to my Lord, please,” she instructed. Her servant quickly did as he was told, though remaining more than slightly wide-eyed at what was happening, though the chauffeur was every bit as shocked as the Lady’s servant was.

 

“From now on, Jans, you are to be my companion and hand-servant. Go inside, and tell Chase that he’s been promoted to doorman, then go to my room and collect my lingerie. I want you to place all of it in one of the chests, lock it, and keep the chest and the key in your quarters; if I attempt to purchase underclothes, remind me of my Lord’s instruction.”

 

“Yes, my Lady,” he replied quietly, in a voice that told Shane he was bewildered but not stupid, as he quickly vanished around the carriage and left his Lady alone with her Lord. She looked up at him submissively, now wearing only her shoes, nylons, and dress, with no lingerie whatsoever underneath the dress.

 

“Good girl,” Shane praised and kissed her lips gently, nodded to one side, “Go back to your party, now, girl. Change into a different dress, but I expect you to change clothes only with Jans present from now on, so that the next time I see you, he can confirm that you haven’t put anything on you’re not allowed to wear anymore.”

 

“Yes, Sir, of course, my Lord,” she replied enthusiastically, leaning up hopefully. He smiled, and allowed her to touch her lips to his, reciprocating her kiss firmly for a moment before pulling away.

 

“Good girl,” he praised, and she shivered but obediently went back to the party when he dismissed her again. Their chauffeur stared quietly at the piloting console in front of him as Shane and his slave got into the carriage, and ferried them back to the ship where Shane related the events of the night to Kazenna. He kept the parts about sex and kink to polite language, since Kazenna had indicated she was asexual and hearing graphic details about sex just didn’t interest her, though she didn’t seem bothered by the fact he’d fucked the hostess.

 

“I have to admit,” Kazenna said as she stood in the hall of the third deck, “that’s a rather unexpected development… but if you can use it to turn her, then by all means, do it. I’m sure the intelligence division can make it work if you’re able to turn her with this; hopefully she isn’t as loyal to the Empire as we thought. Getting down to your rendezvous, though…” Shane related the coordinates, first, and then switched to the topic of importance Lady Windmere Wellen had referred to.

 

“Also, she told me it was very important I notify you that they have lost contact with CC-374,” Shane added, and she quickly nodded and turned, rushing up the ladder, and Shane closed the door behind her before turning to his beloved pet, who was stripping off his disguise. He tossed the slave collar aside with a shudder.

 

“I don’t even care that they disabled that thing, I’m definitely not the collar-wearing type,” N’Haru said as he stripped, and Shane simply smiled as he watched his boy undress.

 

“I know you’re not, baby,” he replied as he moved to stand between his pet’s thighs, kneeling down, leaning forward, “Now I believe I owe you a reward.” N’Haru laid back on their bed, legs dangling off the side from the knees down with his hips close to the edge for his Master’s ease of access. He sighed in pleasure as he felt his Master’s lips closing around his cock, felt himself hardening in His Mouth as his Master started to suck him.

 

“You know, Master,” N’Haru said as his Master’s Lips started to slide smoothly up and down the length of his pallid grey phallic muscle, “I wouldn’t be totally opposed to it if you wanted to make that imperial your slave. She’s fairly good with her mouth; I mean, I’d give her maybe a six.” He felt his Master’s Lips sliding slowly up the length of him.

 

“Oh? Out of?” came his Master’s query before His Lips slid down His boy’s length once more.

 

“Ten,” he replied, arching submissively against his Master’s Mouth as it sank to the hilt then started back up again.

 

“And what would you give Me?” teased his Master before sliding back down again.

 

“Mm, frack… anything You wanted,” he replied truthfully as his Master’s Lips slipped up off his cock again.

 

“Not what I meant, and you know it, pet,” Shane replied before sliding back down once more.

 

“Ah… frack… ninety-five,” he answered.

 

“Out of?” queried his Master once more, before sliding down on it again.

 

“Ten,” N’Haru replied as he clutched his fingers firmly against the bed, feeling himself pulsing, feeling his Master’s Tongue as He drank His boy’s honey-sweet release and squeezed out the last drops for His consumption.

 

“Mm, that never gets old,” Shane praised as he moved up onto the bed over his boy, “I love how you taste, I love how you sound when I tend to my Masterly responsibilities, I love the way you move, I love the way you breathe.”

 

“I love You, too, Mm-” started N’Haru, interrupted by the velvety head of his Master’s Cock sliding into his mouth as his Master took a firm grip of his hair.

 

“Shh, I know. Suck it baby,” Shane ordered, arching firmly against His boy’s mouth as he positioned himself to thrust down his throat firmly, watching his slave’s body sprawl out before him. Even as they felt the ship moving out of the atmosphere with them, Shane continued to hammer into his boy’s throat, beginning to fuck him hard and fast for his own pleasure, though in truth he was close after tending to his boy for longer than usual. Still, he managed to resist it for a few minutes to let his pet enjoy having his throat and lips fucked for a little while before he pulled back and filled his boy’s mouth with his release. He watched his boy’s throat muscles as his pet drank his Master’s release, happily uncomplaining, until Shane slid the head across his boy’s upraised tongue, letting him have the last drops of his milk, which N’Haru eagerly swallowed with a sigh of satisfaction.

 

“Mm, my good boy,” Shane praised, watching the telltale shiver that washed through N’Haru’s body in response while he considered whether he might actually want to make Lady Caine become His, too. Now that he knew for sure that his boy wouldn’t mind, he was giving it some serious thought. For the moment, however, he was feeling quite good about the fact that a local noblewoman had let an orphaned street urchin call her a slut and order her to stop wearing lingerie and she was actually following the instruction.


	6. Ryloth Extract

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rebel Intelligence Agent Carns Capra has found himself in trouble and pursued by a dangerous Inquisitor, and only the Nighthawk can get him safely off the planet...

It took them a while to reach Ryloth, but the following morning while they were still on their way, Shane asked after their current goal.

 

“So what is CC-374? Some kind of droid, I guess?”

 

“CC-374 is the codename designation of Carns Capra, a human intelligence officer in the Alliance. He specializes in setting up rebel cell structures on imperially occupied planets while remaining undetected. He was sent out to Ryloth to help the local Twi’lek resistance increase coordination, efficiency, and organization; unfortunately, it seems that he has run into some trouble, and we’ve been requested to extract him,” Kazenna replied informatively, and Shane nodded a bit in answer.

 

“So is this another spy mission or just a simple search and retrieve?”

 

“It should be a simple search-and-retrieve, unless the trouble he has run into is becoming the ‘guest’ of the imperial governor of Ryloth,” Kazenna answered, “which means you won’t have to dress up again, just your normal armour.”

 

“You didn’t like dressing up?”

 

“If I ever have to wear those scratchy clothes again, it’ll be too soon,” Shane replied, “It might look nice, but that shit was not meant to be comfortable. If I were rich, my primary concern for my clothes would be comfort, with stylishness of the clothing being a distant second.”

 

“Oh, that reminds me. Her Ladyship Lora Caine sent a message to her favourite young Lord of the Colonies, thanking him for a most memorable evening and praising his charm and power,” Kazenna said with a faint smirk, while Shane simply cleared his throat and smiled faintly.

 

“Yes, well,” answered the only human on the ship, “it was really N’Haru who sold it. If I tried the kind of shit Laine puts K’Soku through, my boy might bite me.”

 

“Possibly, but it seems you made an excellent impression on Lady Caine, nevertheless, which is very beneficial to all of us,” Kazenna assured him.

 

“Hopefully beneficial enough that the Alliance will pay for more comfortable ‘fancy clothes’ the next time I need to pretend to be Laine Thorius,” Shane observed, and turned his attention back to the mission at hand, “So what do we know about the situation on Ryloth?”

 

“Anything at all?” asked N’Haru.

 

“We know that CC-374 fell out of contact, and that it’s uncharacteristic for him to do so. He does not simply go off-grid like this; he lost his father to the Empire, he hates them with the same passion as most of us sitting here,” Kazenna replied, “We’ll know more when we arrive in the Ryloth system and can actually ascertain what’s going on down on the planet and in the surrounding space.”

 

The remainder of that day and the next were spent in training before they arrived in the Ryloth system on the following morning. It turned out the planet had fallen under heavier imperial surveillance, with a Star Destroyer present at the head of a fleet of frigates and cruisers.

 

“Oh, good; I was afraid this was… going to be…” started Shane, then paused and furrowed his eyebrows, “Eck. You feel that, pet?”

 

“… I do, Master … what … is that?”

 

“A Sith,” answered Kazenna, “stronger than the two we encountered on Bpfassh, stronger than both of them together, in fact. This mission just got a lot more complicated, we need to extract CC-374 past an unusually strong Inquisitor.”

 

“Will he be walking around with a few platoons of storm troopers or will he be roaming about entirely on his own?” asked K’Shar, but Kazenna shook her head.

 

“I don’t dare to use the Force to look for that information; even if Shane, N’Haru, and I, are stronger than him together, we will no doubt still require the advantage of him remaining unaware of our presence as long as possible,” Kazenna replied, and K’Shar nodded calmly.

 

“Understood; avoid if possible, engage if necessary, then,” he replied, though his statement was more a question than an instruction.

 

“Exactly,” Kazenna confirmed, “he’ll assume that you two are my apprentices, which isn’t functionally far from being the truth, but we’re going to need to step up your training a bit at this point. He’ll be fighting with his full abilities and that will include using the Force as a weapon, so I am going to need to teach you two more ways to channel your own Force-sensitivity to your benefit. Thankfully, you two have been learning the discipline of tutaminis very well, which should keep you safe against this Inquisitor as long as you remember to use it,” Kazenna said, and both young men in her tutelage nodded quietly in answer.

 

“Also, remember that anger is a dark emotion; do not give in to anger or rage, but exploit such in your enemies, as our enemies use the dark side of the Force,” Kazenna advised, to which her technical apprentices both nodded in answer, “they are subject to the dark side’s limitations, however, also. All right, T’Lor, bring us into the Ryloth atmosphere, and find somewhere for us to set down where the ship’s physical presence won’t make our presence obvious.”

 

That proved easy enough, when they received an encrypted communication from the Twi’lek resistance that directed them to a mesa, or more particularly a concealed bunker inside the mesa, complete with a hangar. Large enough for a single small Star Destroyer, the Nighthawk was able to slip in and take up a fraction of the space available. Once their ship had landed and the ramp was down, they found a small contingent of Twi’lek resistance fighters waiting for them.

 

“Greetings, I am Kel Ambul,” greeted a blue-complexioned Twi’lek, “I would say it is a pleasure to see you, but under the circumstances, it is a pleasure to see anyone who isn’t pointing guns at us.”

 

“Familiar story,” Kazenna assured him as she took his hand and shook firmly, “We’ve been sent to retrieve someone who went silent. Or, rather, to investigate why he went silent and then retrieve if necessary. Can you give us an update, at all?”

 

“Ah, yes, Carns; his identity was discovered and the imperials are really not fond of him, they’ve sent an inquisitor to track him down and apprehend him. He ended up trapped in one of our cities that’s suffering the worst occupation by the Empire right now, and it’s only gotten worse since the Inquisitor ascertained to his own certainty that Carns is in there somewhere. His name’s Ogden Thorpe, from Corellia; his history indicates he is a barbaric, hardline loyalist to the Empire: his parents were early leaders of the rebellion. When he discovered this, he murdered his parents and then did something to his sister that was severe enough to merit it being redacted from any file we can acquire, but he posed as a rebel officer while doing it. She believes her brother is with the rebellion and so has become a hardline loyalist to the Empire, herself, unaware of that whatever it is he did to her was likely ordered by her brother’s imperial handlers,” Kel related, “He’s a cruel bundle of strong and nasty, so we’ve done our best to avoid him.”

 

“Does he have any weakness that you’ve been able to determine?”

 

“One,” Kel replied as he looked up at Shane when the young man asked a question, “He’s powerful, but he’s somewhat slow. Not intellectually, he’s dangerously smart so don’t underestimate him, but he’s not the fastest Sith you’ll meet. Every time we’ve encountered him we’ve lost a dozen men or thereabouts, but once we’re out of his range we’re safe, because he’s not great at chasing people. He is, unfortunately, good at goading them into staying long enough for him to kill them, but I’ve learned his tricks, I’ve seen his ilk, and I don’t fall for his guff. Other than that, however, no, we haven’t been able to figure out any other way to beat him other than running like we were being chased by a sarlacc.”

 

“Oh, good,” N’Haru observed, “let’s just hope we don’t meet him, then. Do you know where Carns is right now?”

 

“You mean more specifically than in this city right here?” asked Kel, rhetorically, while touching the holographic map in front of them all, “… no.”

 

“Naturally,” Kazenna said and run her fingers over her horns, “nothing’s ever easy, is it? Kel, do you have any speeders we can borrow?” Kel nodded in answer to that.

 

“Speeders are the one thing we’re not hurting for. We don’t have ten thousand people but we’ve got thirty thousand speeders. You like old? We’ve got some that’re thousands of years old that we’ve refurbished,” Kel answered, “You like newer things? We’ve got some manufactured last year. How many do you need?” He touched a few buttons, then brought up a holographic array of more types of speeder bike than Shane was aware existed and looked to see exactly how many they wanted and what kind they wanted.

 

“We’ll give you the ‘we need your help’ discount, one hundred percent off,” Kel joked. Kazenna looked through their options extensively before selecting one of the ancient models.

 

“The Morlinger Slipstream, strong and dependable, fully refurbished and functions like it’s brand new. It’ll reach an altitude of thirty metres, with a top speed of four hundred kilometres an hour. We’ve licensed it for reproduction since Morlinger’s not around anymore, the company disintegrated eventually, sometime between when they made this and a time before my great-grandfather’s great-grandfather,” Kel explained, “How many do you need?”

 

“Twenty,” Kazenna said, and he nodded.

 

“Zath, get them twenty of our refurbished Morlinger Slipstreams, load most of them onto their ship but keep a few out since they’re going to need them soon,” Kel ordered and a green-complexioned Twi’lek nodded and moved off to see to the instruction, “When do you plan to go retrieve Carns?”

 

“As soon as the speeders arrive, the three of us are going to head out,” Kazenna replied, glancing toward K’Shar, “we will need the Nighthawk ready to pick us up when we signal, if we’re going to make it out of here intact and with our cargo still breathing.” K’Shar nodded, though neither of the marines were particularly happy about being left behind, they knew this fight was one they had no business being part of: storm troopers were one thing, but an inquisitor was an enemy far beyond either of them. Once the speeders arrived, K’Shar affixed each with an encrypted tracking beacon that would allow the Nighthawk to track them, though with an encryption that the Empire had not yet broken, thus far, and they set out for the nearby city of Kala’uun. Once a beautiful, even breathtaking, thriving metropolis inside of a mountain, it had become more of a warzone, between a dominating imperial presence and a thousand new ways into and out of the mountain’s cavernous, multi-tiered interior.

 

As they neared the top of the mountain, they found a banner bright enough that they couldn’t miss it held by two red-complexioned Twi’leks, who motioned them inside through a small, blasted opening. Piloting their way carefully into it and landing, they dismounted their speeders and turned toward their greeting duet.

 

“Brill Amersu, and this is my brother, Tal, we’re with Kel’s group, we were notified you were coming and the reason. We don’t know where CC-347 is, other than to say ‘not here,’ but we’ll keep this place secure so you have a way out, as long as we’re still alive for that,” introduced the older of the two men. Kazenna nodded in answer, shaking hands with each of them.

 

“Thank you. May we someday see Ryloth free of imperial tyranny,” Kazenna replied, and then motioned Shane and N’Haru to follow her as she moved down a tunnel that turned into an alleyway that came out in one of the uppermost layers of the multi-tiered metropolis. His staff impossible to hide, N’Haru feigned it as a walking staff, but given how few people they saw, it was likely that either nobody believed it or the situation in Kala’uun was worse than expected. Either way, they found themselves skirting around patrols of storm troopers for the better part of four hours and three tiers of the city, before someone approached.

 

“Psst,” whispered a blue-complexioned Twi’lek boy from an alleyway, “psst!” It took him a moment to gather their attention, but when he did, they slipped into the shadows of the narrow corridor between carved-out buildings.

 

“You must be looking for Capp,” said the boy.

 

“How can you be so sure?”

 

“You’ve got lightsabers and you haven’t killed me,” the near-teen replied dryly, “Capp’s looking for you, too, but that big, nasty-looking guy has nearly caught him a few times, and it’s getting harder for him to circ-… to circ-… oh, you know, to get around the city.” He wasn’t ready for words like ‘circumnavigate’ yet, N’Haru deduced, but he got across the message clearly enough regardless.

 

“He’s two tiers down right now, near the gardens,” the boy added, before seeming to vanish through another opening in the rock wall that was likewise shadow-bathed.

 

“We don’t really have a choice except to take his word for it. It’s either CC-347 or it’s Thorpe; if it’s 347 we get out of here as quick as possible, if it’s Thorpe we buy 347 time to get out and find a way to let us know he’s out securely,” Kazenna said, and both Shane and his pet nodded in agreement. If anything, the gardens would at least have a bit more space, which would be useful if they ended up needing to have a confrontation with imperial soldiers. They could hear the sound of gunfire, already, however, as they neared an exit onto the indicated tier, which suggested less of Thorpe manipulating the young man and more to CC-347 having sent the kid. Sneaking down the jointed alleyway until they reached the corner, Kazenna leaned around it briefly to check and then ducked back behind cover.

 

“A platoon of imperial soldiers is standing at the end of the tunnel, firing at something,” Kazenna said, before toward the soldiers around the corner.

 

“Kind of wish we’d brought K’Cela with us, a grenade would be real handy, right now,” N’Haru observed, before he shook his head a little and slung his staff across his back before switching to his slug-thrower. Given how adamantly they were firing, he’d have an opportunity to score several hits before they noticed someone was shooting at them and from a different position. He slipped out from cover and took aim, quickly unloading seven rounds into the armoured soldiers in front of him, punching deadly holes in them and dropping seven men with shots to the neck or head. As he ducked back into cover his Master rotated out and fired as the imperial soldiers were noticing their firepower dropping and turning, putting seven more on the ground permanently before ducking behind cover once more.

 

“I think they’ve noticed we’re here,” Shane observed before pale green blaster-bolts whipped into the wall near them as someone else started shooting at the imperial soldiers, garnering their attention back in the original direction. Even while the shooter was firing, storm troopers were moving backward to be able to try to fire in two directions at once, but it proved a poor decision. Despite having numeric superiority, they were caught in a bad position by somewhat of a pincer, and soon enough, there weren’t any imperial soldiers left standing, at which point the other shooter stopped firing. They could hear his boots on the ground nearby, approaching for a moment, then stopping.

 

“The sparrow cheeps at midnight,” came a voice from around the corner, and Kazenna rolled her eyes and shook her head a little bit in response to the statement.

 

“Are you seriously still doing that?” she replied, and a moment later, a man came around the corner holstering his firearm. He was a lot younger than the two young men expected, closer to their own age than to Kazenna’s, at what was probably twenty-three years old with short dusty-blond hair and dark green eyes accenting a tanned complexion. The man had on a black leather jacket and black pants, with a cream-coloured shirt beneath the former, and a cocksure smile.

 

“Mostly only when I’ve gotten this weird sense in the back of my mind that it’s you that’s come to pick me up again,” he replied, before continuing, “For some reason, nobody else seems to find it amusing.”

 

“That’s because it isn’t amusing. Get moving,” she replied with exasperation, pushing him to get him to get moving back down the corridor before the Inquisitor would be able to find them, “Ideally before… that… Inquis-” She stopped and grabbed him by the collar, yanking him backward and throwing him back to the corner in the process a second before a lightsaber hit where he was about to have been with a dark red blade.

 

“Other way,” Carns replied, quickly whirling around and back out toward the gardens while Kazenna drew and quickly activated her lightsabers in the tight quarters of the confined space. Shane and N’Haru slid back to stay with Carns as Kazenna backed up more slowly while the Inquisitor lumbered impressively into visibility.

 

At two hundred five and three-quarter centimetres and one hundred twenty-four and three-quarter kilograms, the man was an intimidating presence. He had ear-length hair of black and thick, almost bushy black eyebrows, grey-blue irises and the look of a man of about forty-eight years, with an expression somewhere between fury and austerity. He held a long-handled lightsaber in one hand, with an unusually long blade besides, almost a great-sword lightsaber from the look of it, as N’Haru and Shane withdrew toward the gardens, giving Kazenna more room to manoeuvre. The sound of a loud hum filled the air as the Inquisitor crossed blades with the zabrak rebel, though as they moved out into the open of the gardens, Kazenna retreated at a steady pace as she allowed the Empire’s Inquisitor to advance.

 

When Kazenna could see that they were all clear and out into the grassy expanse of the garden, she somersaulted back to create solid distance between herself and the Inquisitor. As she landed, Shane drew his own lightsabers and activated them, while N’Haru holstered his pistol and brought his staff back with a deep whooshing sound as he spun it in one hand and adopted a defensive posture.

 

“Well, look what we have here,” the Inquisitor said, his voice a deep bass pitch, “one rebel dog and three lost Jedi sent to save him. My, my, you must be important to merit three Jedi being sent t-” He prattled until Carns started laughing at him, to the point of actually falling backward on his back, which interrupted his laughter with a grunt of pain as the Inquisitor stared at him, lifting an eyebrow curiously.

 

“Aha… aha-ha… ow… sorry… hang on, hang on,” the rebel saboteur replied, stumbling momentarily as he rose and stood upright, “are you telling me you think these are Jedi? Aha-ha-ha…”

 

“Do me a favour,” Kazenna said as she looked over her shoulder, “shut up.”

 

“By the way,” the Inquisitor said, looking back toward the three with lightsabers and focusing specifically upon the Bpfassh, “that works better if you turn the blade on.” He started to sneer condescendingly then noticed the Bpfassh’s response was a sort of amused smirk, and he lifted an eyebrow in response. Witty banter made, he lunged forward and brought his blade up, then down in an arc that Kazenna blocked with both her sai and her saber at the same moment.

 

Even as Kazenna slid backward across the grass and dirt, Shane circled around, and then made a lunging thrust using his long-handled lightsaber. The Inquisitor jumped backward to allow the thrust to miss, swinging at Shane forcefully enough that it sent the younger human soaring when he blocked with the dagger-blade of his shoto, until his feet hit the ground and he skidded. Even as the Inquisitor started advancing on Shane, N’Haru leaned against his staff and just looked at the much taller fellow skeptically.

 

“Hey, too-tall,” he taunted, causing the Inquisitor to jerk to a halt, one bushy eyebrow twitching, but he growled and continued to advance on the younger human, lifting his blade to make a swing as Shane braced to defend himself from it, “Can you hear me up there? I know the air gets thin.”

 

“… grr …” the Inquisitor responded with a growling sound as he stopped advancing and turned toward the youthful Bpfassh, eyebrows rising as he saw the condescending pose.

 

“Oh, good, so you can hear me, up there,” N’Haru observed dryly, “I wasn’t sure. I’ve never fought a mountain before. So, I was wondering…” The Inquisitor’s left eyebrow twitched in building agitation as he listened to the far smaller male taunting him, taking a deep breath as he lifted his blade and gripped the long handle in both hands.

 

“Did your parents beat you as a kid, or were you just born treasonous enough to want to kill them for total strangers who don’t care about you?” challenged the comparatively diminutive Bpfassh. Even as Kazenna withdrew to whisper instructions to Carns, the Inquisitor roared with infuriation and charged toward the much smaller male, who leapt back as the blade came down the first time. His phrik-staff whooshed as he countered, forcing the Inquisitor to jerk back to avoid a staff swipe to the jaw, then N’Haru brought his staff up again, this time blocking a follow-up cleave made by the Inquisitor. He locked his boots on the grass and held firm as the Inquisitor pressed down for a few seconds, then jerked and came in from another direction. N’Haru’s staff slid as seamless as thought from one position to the next, a sequence of humming sounds filling the air as the Inquisitor’s dark red blade slammed into the staff repeatedly, in first one position and then a different one.

 

N’Haru stepped backward occasionally, but deflected every strike with his staff, until he noticed out of the corner of his eye that Carns was out of sight. Eyebrows came together and dipped aggressively as he started to counter, striking back at his opponent and pushing him backward in return until the Inquisitor jumped back and attacked using a brilliant red bolt of Force Lightning. N’Haru leapt backward from the first bolt and caught the second with his staff, channeling the discipline of tutaminis to absorb the power thrust at him. He was able to hold for a minute or so, but that was all it took before the Inquisitor’s attention was seized by the sight of Kazenna advancing on him from another direction. It forced him to refocus his attention on her, launching into an aggressive offense before she was joined by Shane, whose attacks coordinated well with hers. Between them, they forced the Inquisitor onto the defensive for several moments, as N’Haru took deep breaths and focused on the kasha crystal in his training saber. The fact two of them were fighting with only training sabers did nothing to diminish Shane’s effectiveness, or that of Shane’s slave, though Shane himself was scoring hits. The main reason Shane was able to hit, he knew, was because the Inquisitor could tell his weapons were in training mode, and wouldn’t inflict fatal injury, though the hits still stung.

 

After several minutes of the Inquisitor being on the defensive, he managed a counterattack that threw Kazenna’s long-handled lightsaber and let him turn toward his fellow human more fully. N’Haru moved into the offensive, coming in from behind and landing a powerful slam of his staff against the Inquisitor’s left shoulder before leaping backward as the Inquisitor whirled on him once more.

 

“You little pest!” snarled the Inquisitor with agitation, his anger building.

 

“By the way, I had another question,” N’Haru commented as he ducked from one slash and sidestepped another before blocking to let the Inquisitor closer, looking up as his face came within a half-metre of his own, “What kind of name is Ogden, anyway? I mean, who names their kid that?” Inquisitor Thorpe had experience and training N’Haru lacked, and was at least for the moment stronger in the Force than the staff-wielding Bpfassh, but N’Haru was also fighting him with a weapon frequently interpreted as strictly an attack weapon.

 

“You realize you’re just pissing me off, right, you impudent little whelp?”

 

“I do,” N’Haru said as he twisted and used his staff to lift his body off the ground quickly enough to deliver a sharp kick that knocked Thorpe off-balance for a half-second. Even that narrow window allowed N’Haru to reposition in a hurry, blocking to one side as a horizontal slash came at him.

 

“You’re doing it on purpose, too,” came the accusatory follow-up.

 

“Kind of; just figuring that out? Guess your sister was the one who got the good genes, and you just kind of inherited all the junk genes, huh?” came the response, ducking with a ‘whoa!’ as the Inquisitor lunged and swung in a horizontal arc that went narrowly over his head. N’Haru leapt backwards, using the Force to assist him in a somersault, landing in a braced crouch as the Inquisitor flung lightning at him again. Once more, N’Haru channeled the discipline Kazenna had taught them, absorbing it and rejuvenating himself with the crimson lightning’s crackling Force-energies. Thorpe growled with rage, his power building at the same time as a blood-haze of wrath, before he was distracted by a sharp stinging on one leg as Shane jabbed him with his shoto in the same strike that slammed his long-handled lightsaber’s blade on his thigh. He wheeled, swinging his free hand and throwing Shane with a wave of Force, before Kazenna’s own lightsabers forced him to refocus once more.

 

A thin sheen of perspiration coating his skin, Shane leapt to his feet and launched himself forward once more, using a hint of the Force to propel himself. Even as his pet caught his breath, a more visible layer of sweat coating N’Haru’s form from head to toe now, his lightly sweating zabrak mentor and Human owner forced the Inquisitor to exert himself. N’Haru could see the beads of sweat forming on the Inquisitor, but he was rather certain that they were too weak right now to deal a killing blow, and he could only hope the same could be said of Thorpe.

 

“Hey, Thorpe,” N’Haru taunted once more as he caught his breath, breaking into a run to race towards him, “Another question for you!” As he finished his statement he leapt in the air, using the Force to control his trajectory as Thorpe whipped around, passing over the towering Inquisitor. He landed behind him and spun fully around reinforced by the Force, knocking Thorpe’s legs out from under him, shaking the ground just faintly as he slammed flat out on his back.

 

“Time to go; ship’s in position and the package is aboard,” Kazenna whispered to Shane, who signalled N’Haru before starting to fall back as Thorpe snarled and clambered back to his feet, turning toward N’Haru with an angry expression.

 

“Why don’t you activate your weapon, whelp? Don’t know how, or maybe your Master didn’t feel she could trust you with a lightsaber crystal yet?” challenged Thorpe, to which N’Haru only laughed loudly in answer, further disorienting the Inquisitor at the unexpected reaction. N’Haru withdrew, walking backward slowly into an alleyway where both of the others had already retreated and were waiting for him.

 

“Well, I have to go now,” N’Haru said to the exhausted Inquisitor, who stared at him blankly for a moment from about twenty metres away, “but thank you for a wonderful practice session. I must say, you dance very nicely. I would, right at this moment, deactivate my lightsaber, but… you weren’t really good enough to make me activate it to begin with.” He bowed mockingly, and the Inquisitor roared with fury and launched a double-handed bolt of Force lightning toward him. Even as he did, N’Haru leapt backward, and Kazenna used her own Force ability to nudge the trajectory slightly, up instead of straight, causing it to hammer into the ceiling of rock. The earth shuddered faintly and the ceiling quickly collapsed, putting about ten metres of solid rock between the Inquisitor and the three of them. As they turned and ran for the ship, they heard the Inquisitor using the Force to move stones for a moment, then howling deep and resonant in fury as he sensed them growing more and more distant from him.

 

“Seriously, why didn’t you activate your lightsaber?” asked Kazenna as they raced up through the mountain and finally reached the exit where their speeders and the Twi’lek brothers waited.

 

“Didn’t have to,” N’Haru said as he got onto his speeder and the three of them took a long sweeping leap off the ledge into the open cargo bay of the Nighthawk, where Carns was waiting. As they swept to a stop, Kazenna dismounted to cross the distance to N’Haru, stopping in front of him as soon as he was dismounted from his own, looking at him and then taking a deep breath.

 

“Shane, I need to examine your boy to make sure he didn’t suffer injury,” Kazenna said, looking sidelong toward the Bpfassh’s Owner while keeping her face turned fully to N’Haru.

 

“I’m sure he’d tell Me if he were hurt, but you’re free to examine him. We all need to rinse, though, anyhow,” Shane replied, and Kazenna nodded.

 

“Yes, that was… a very difficult confrontation,” she replied, and the three of them relocated to the ship’s third-deck showers, where she waited while N’Haru undressed.

 

“Amazing,” she said after several minutes of examining N’Haru and discovering nothing, “It doesn’t look like he hit you. I was obviously certain you had all your limbs, still, but to think we managed to leave those caves unscratched… N’Haru, you have a true talent with the pike. I’m not sure why you didn’t activate the blade, but given we made it out unharmed, I am willing to give you the benefit of the doubt on this one.” She then turned and walked away, stripping and entering the showers to rinse and wash away the sweat, while N’Haru leaned nakedly against the wall waiting for his turn, his Master having rinsed while his boy was inspected.

 

“At least we got Carns out,” Shane said when N’Haru was done rinsing, “you’re a very good boy, N’Haru. I’m very proud of you today.” Not to say that he wasn’t every day, but he was particularly proud of his pet on this specific day, after the particular events they had just endured.

 

“Hopefully Carns has something useful,” N’Haru said as he redressed himself, then joined his Master for some rest and relaxation.


	7. Urgent Retrieval

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The rescued intelligence agent has vital information about a treasure on Ryloth... something that cannot be allowed to fall into the hands of the Empire...

The following morning at breakfast, the rebel intelligence officer Carns Capra joined them, and after a few moments of Kazenna’s gaze, he coughed and chimed up.

 

“You are probably wondering what I was doing on Ryloth, and whether or not it was just the obvious,” Capra said.

 

“Yes, information would be a nice reward for arriving in time,” Kazenna replied.

 

“Just in time, at that,” Carns admitted, and then nodded, “It wasn’t only the obvious. I was there to offer assistance to the Twi’lek resistance near Kala’uun, but I was also there to follow up on rumours and report my findings to the Jedi survivors. We heard rumours about cache of Jedi artifacts hidden on Ryloth, and I was sent to find confirmation or to report that it was confirmed as a false lead. It turns out, there is evidence that after the start of the Great Jedi Purge, a group of Jedi did come to the planet, visited an ancient shrine, then left. The locals believed the Jedi left something in the shrine, there for safekeeping where it could hopefully be recovered later, but none have dared near the shrine since then, it’s been several years. The shrine is located… inconveniently.”

 

“ _Inconveniently?_ ” prompted Kazenna.

 

“Inconveniently,” Carns repeated, “or more specifically, it’s right on top of a lylek nest. There’s no indication of what is in the shrine, but that’s how I started running into the Empire and it’s what eventually got that damned Inquisitor’s presence. Whatever’s in there, the Empire wants it and that makes it important that we be sure that they don’t get it.”

 

“Agreed,” Kazenna said, “all we can do to resist the Empire is to deny them access to anything they deem important.”

 

“Give me the coordinates,” K’Shar said with a sigh, taking them once they were held out to him, “Guess we are going lylek hunting with a side of Sith stalking. This’ll be loads of fun.” A few minutes later, the ship veered a bit as it took on the new heading toward one of the few places on Ryloth that had open land, where the Shrine stood on a wasteland of dry, cracked earth, rife with fissures. Bridges crossed the fissures in places where they were unusually wide, leading to the Shrine from a dozen different directions across more than three kilometres of open terrain.

 

“We won’t be able to drop you off at the shrine: database indicates the lyleks are attracted to the sound and vibration of ships and speeders. You’re going to have to fight your way to the shrine and fight your way back,” T’Lor reported over the intercom as the ramp lowered to reveal their path.

 

“… of course we will,” Shane observed dryly, having inherited a bit of the dryness of wit that his slave favoured, and that was slightly common in Bpfasshi in general.

 

“Also, there’re imperial ships in orbit and the ground’s unstable, so we won’t be able to provide covering fire with the cannons or we’ll be giving away our position and the resultant landslide would probably kill you.”

 

“… any additional gems of excellent news?” asked N’Haru cheerfully, looking over his shoulder at his fellow Bpfasshi with a wry smirk curving his lips.

 

“The bridges are very old,” Sor’A offered cheekily.

 

“… but built solidly enough, as long as nobody starts firing cannons at what they’re attached to,” S’Kara added, “and scans indicate this is a fairly large hive, so there’s probably a queen.”

 

“Next time we’re receiving bad news, pet,” Shane said as he quickly stepped down off the ramp onto the cracked earth of the surface and activated his lightsabers in preparation for the appearance of giant, tentacle-bearing insects, “Don’t ask for more.” N’Haru only rolled his shoulders in answer to his Master’s instruction, cracking his neck and following as the ramp closed behind them and the ship was lost from all visibility, using his lightsaber pike as a walking staff as opposed to activating it.

 

“Are you ever going to activate that thing outside of training or should I just take the crystal for safe keeping?” asked Kazenna, as they started to cross the distance, her own lightsabers already drawn and activated.

 

“I’ll activate it when I need it, mentor,” N’Haru assured her respectfully, listening intently as they crossed the span as quietly as possible, aside from the whispered conversation. He heard the sound of chittering, hissing, and clicking and knew the lyleks were becoming aware of their presence, though he hoped it wouldn’t be a tremendous amount of them and that they might actually make it to the shrine. He looked ahead to it, a cylindrical structure having a ring-shaped portico with round pillars supporting a dome-shaped roof, looking about a forty metres tall and sixty metres in diameter at the most. Even as he was looking at it, his eyes narrowed as he saw a light flash in the distance, and gazed out over the distance to notice the dark red blade of the same inquisitor on the far side of the shrine.

 

“Oh, good; I was afraid this was going to be easy,” N’Haru observed dryly, earning questioning glances from both his mentor and his Master, at which point he used his staff to point. Even as their eyes followed, the shapes of lyleks soon started to emerge from the fissures in both locations, but their eyes noted the bright flashes of the Sith’s lightsaber as he engaged the terrible insects.

 

“I get the feeling he’s not here to admire the architecture,” N’Haru observed, which netted him a sidelong glance from his Master as the lyleks near them started to close on them. Each insect was massive, about the size of a small elephant in overall dimensions, albeit certainly not in bulk, with six legs and two deadly tentacles, as well as a stinger on their tail and sturdy exoskeletons known to ignore at least some blaster fire. As his Master and his mentor sheathed their smaller weapons and grasped the grip of their long-handled lightsabers with both hands, he spun his phrik-alloy staff and attempted to channel his Force into it. As their blades flashed against tentacles, N’Haru leapt forward on the one approaching him, sweeping between two tentacles that made a grab for him. He landed underneath it, staff whooshing deeply through the air as he spun around and slammed it through all three legs on one side of the giant insect. As the lylek lost its’ balance he leapt and slammed his foot into its’ underside, hitting it with enough forward the legs on the other side left the ground and passed over his head as it fell into the fissure.

 

At the same moment, he heard the sound of other lyleks falling dead and noted out of his left periphery that his Master and his mentor were using their blades to carve through them. They may have resisted blaster fire, but lightsabers still seemed to work just fine, as did blunt force, as he struck one on the shoulder and sprung up as he hit. The combination allowed him to rise into the air, somersaulting past the snap of mandibles to land on its’ back, spinning and slamming his staff into the neck, disconnecting the head from the body and bracing his legs as the lylek fell. He wheeled and ran up the angled back, leaping into the air and coming in from the side of another, bringing his staff down on the back in such a way that it catapulted him while snapping the lylek almost in twain in the process. As his bounding launch got him nearer the shrine, he came down on another’s back and ducked against the back of its’ neck as it snapped tentacles up at him. When another neared, he leapt out of the way and tentacles from one lashed around the neck of the one he was standing on, snapping through the exoskeleton and beheading it as he ran up one tentacle and slammed his staff into the head of the next. As it fell, he somersaulted backward to land nearer the shrine as his Master and mentor were there a half-second later, rushing across the first bridge alongside him.

 

Across from them, they could see clearly that the Inquisitor was making progress of his own, crossing his first about thirty seconds after they did. Their second section went slower for them but quicker for their enemy on his side, and he crossed his second bridge about ten seconds before them. The third bridge was too close to tell who managed to hit the side nearest the shrine first, but the trio made the fourth and final bridge about thirty seconds ahead of the inquisitor and were soon inside. As they entered, they could sense his presence nearby, but he wasn’t advancing on the shrine at all at that particular moment, for whatever reason. They could sense something else nearby, and Kazenna narrowed her eyes in thought, then blinked before her eyes widened once more.

 

“I know why the Empire wants what’s in here,” she said, then expanded on it, “there’s a Force crystal in here. I’m not sure what else, but there’s definitely a Force crystal in here.” She looked at them almost expectantly then remembered they were only apprentices, despite how quickly they learned and how talentedly they fought, and had no clue what it was she was talking about. She took a deep breath; she could sense the Inquisitor outside and knew he must have been waiting for them to move further in so he could attempt to sneak up behind him.

 

“A Force crystal could change the course of the war. They are extraordinarily powerful and very rare, I don’t know of exactly where the Jedi who brought it here found it, but it is mighty in the Force, and to our great fortune, it is aligned to the Light. I don’t know what that’s going to mean for us, I don’t know what it does, but a Force crystal is dangerous in enemy hands and war-changing in the rebellion’s hands,” she assured them. She turned, then, and looked around, then nodded toward the centre of the small-seeming shrine, toward a spiral stair ascending into the upper section of it, before looking to N’Haru.

 

“Do not let him follow us up, we need time to find the crystal and retrieve it,” she instructed, and N’Haru nodded and stopped in the doorway as they moved toward the stairs.

 

“This thing isn’t going to be huge or anything, is it?” asked Shane as they ascended the stairs.

 

“Not to the point it cannot be carried by a single individual, no,” Kazenna assured him as they vanished up the stairwell, and N’Haru steeled himself for a second confrontation with the Inquisitor. He could tell Kazenna disliked leaving him there, but he’d held his own against the Inquisitor before, for at least a few minutes, and they wouldn’t be able to seek out the crystal if all three of them were fighting for their lives. For his part, N’Haru focused his Force on regeneration, centering and cooling down from the heat of battle as he waited for the Inquisitor to enter as he inevitably would have to if he wanted the treasure within the shrine.

 

It felt like forever, even if it was only two or three minutes, before the Inquisitor noticed that the presences he sensed had split up, and he stormed into the building to discover N’Haru standing between him and the stair. N’Haru looked up at the much taller male, stretching and cracking his back and his arms then cracking his neck as he limbered himself for the fight, but did not activate the lightsaber. Meanwhile, the Inquisitor’s blade crackled an angry, bloody, dark red colour as ever, his eyes narrowing at the much-younger nonhuman that blocked his path.

 

“Enjoying the scenery?” asked the nineteen-year-old casually, soliciting a blink and an eyebrow lift.

 

“Excuse me?”

 

“Felt like you took forever to come inside. I can only surmise that you were admiring the scenery, although a bunch of dead lyleks seems to diminish the view a bit, I find. Oh, wait, you weren’t having trouble killing your share, were you? I hope we didn’t set the bar too high with how many you had to kill to catch up,” N’Haru taunted irreverently. It caused a spike in agitation even as the Inquisitor was holding back to recover from fighting giant, ferocious, armoured insects to get here.

 

“Are you always this disrespectful to your betters, you little grey worm?”

 

“Nope,” N’Haru answered derisively, “Sometimes, I’m downright irreverent. Then again, I don’t see anyone better at the moment.”

 

“Are you such a neophyte that you do not realize how much greater my power is than yours?”

 

“Oh, I didn’t say you weren’t stronger than me. I said you weren’t better than me. Didn’t you hear me?” he retorted, “You know, you should get your hearing checked when you return to the imperial blockade we waved to when we got here, I’m sure they’ve got doctors.” Thorpe’s bushy left eyebrow twitched in agitation as his lips formed a thin line of irritation as he found himself facing what seemed to be an utterly unflappable young Bpfassh. The fingers of his right hand curled into a fist as he held his lightsaber in his other hand for the moment, and then he took a step forward with a hard stomp on the ground followed by a snap of his hand. Dark red lightning arced out of his fingers, unified into a single bolt that coursed through the air toward N’Haru as he snarled in anger and contempt.

 

N’Haru jerked his staff sharply to intercept, focusing on the discipline of tutaminis as red lightning slammed into his staff. He set his feet and locked his knees, bracing against the impact of it as he absorbed it, then after a moment, the young Bpfassh’s energy spiked as he took a deep breath and laughed softly. It distracted the Sith and the red lightning sizzled, crackled, and dropped off as the Inquisitor narrowed his eyes at him and snarled angrily.

 

“Very well, we’ll settle this like men, even though only one of us is a real man,” Ogden taunted, though N’Haru only lifted an eyebrow in answer, then shifted his feet as the Inquisitor charged. The massive lightsaber blade flashed as it arced through the air, and N’Haru stepped forward and blocked overhead, snapping a kick into the tall human’s thigh, hard enough that it would undoubtedly leave a bruise. It forced Ogden to drop back a step before attacking again as N’Haru blocked his path and didn’t allow himself to be lured out of position. One slash then two, then a chop here, a cleave there, an uppercut then a thrust, as N’Haru and his opponent engaged in the deadly dance of lightsaber combat, even as N’Haru’s remained inactive. He finally landed a hit on the younger male, hitting him in the torso with a kick that knocked him through the doorway, as he skidded backward across the floor, using the Force to remain steady and stable as he rose.

 

“You know,” N’Haru coughed as the Sith took the moment’s reprieve to catch his own breath, “I really thought you’d hit harder being as big as you are, but I guess you deserve an answer to one of your earlier questions.” For a moment, the Sith stared at him incredulously as the younger man responded to getting hit by insulting him again, and then went on to almost but not quite change the subject.

 

“Excuse me?”

 

“It does have a lightsaber crystal, albeit my mentor did ask if I was ever going to use it or if she should take it for safe keeping,” he observed, and the Inquisitor blinked at him. The boy was irritatingly calm in addition to being a snarky, irreverent wiseass, and N’Haru could tell that’s what he was thinking just based on his expression. The expression of the other then changed to one of dawning realization, and he growled angrily.

 

“You’re using a kasha crystal, you little bastard,” Ogden accused, snarling as he use his anger and contempt and hate to rejuvenate himself before attacking again.

 

“You’re only just realizing that?” challenged N’Haru as he sensed his Master and his mentor moving about overhead, on the next floor, tilting his head as his eyes remained fixed on the Sith. Then, the earth started to rumble and shake a bit under their feet, lasting a few moments before it stopped, and the ground became stable once more. As soon as it was stable, Ogden rushed him, swinging his lightsaber once more, striking hard against the phrik-alloyed staff of the youthful defender, who simply snapped a kick up into his stomach. The force of impact winded him and the Inquisitor stumbled back a step with a gasp for air, even as N’Haru slammed the butt of his staff into the ground and delivered a double-boot kick that slammed his feet into the taller male’s chest. Ogden was flung backward by the impact, landing flat on his back with the full weight of his own bulk as N’Haru’s feet dropped to the ground again. The younger male was covered in a noticeable shimmer of sweat, but the Inquisitor wasn’t handling the protracted confrontation all that well, either. He hadn’t had two allies to help him carve a path through an army of insects, he’d had to kill his way to the shrine on his own, and that had left him more exhausted than the Bpfassh, his mentor, or his Master.

 

As Ogden lumbered to his feet once more, N’Haru stepped back to the doorframe once more and reassumed his initial position just before the ground shook violently for a second time. This time, the tremor went on for much longer, and N’Haru tilted his head a little bit in answer as he heard something in the communicator in his ear.

 

“Slave, outside, now!” came his Master’s voice, and N’Haru narrowed his eyes sharply at the Inquisitor that stood in between him and the exit. He could sense movement above him, fast and hard, passing the stairs and going toward the side opposite where they and the Inquisitor had all initially entered.

 

“Well, it’s been fun,” N’Haru said, as Ogden steadied his feet when the shaking stopped, just in time to see N’Haru’s movement as he turned and bolted through the far door of the stairwell chamber and toward the other exit. He rushed to pursue through the shrine even as it continued to shake like an earthquake was hitting it, coming out in time to see N’Haru still moving across the solid stone. His companions were ahead of him, but Ogden threw all his rage and hate into his attack as he leapt after the younger male, bringing his blade up for an overhead cleave.

 

N’Haru’s boots jerked to a halt and he skidded; spinning about and bringing his staff up above him, the air resounded with a loud hum as the lightsaber slammed into his staff. He continued to skid back from the kinetic force of the impact between their weapons before he stopped, looking up to make eye contact with his opponent. As he moved to kick his enemy, Ogden leapt back; N’Haru used it to stomp forward and launch into the offensive even as the ground continued to shake around them, though the stone they were on was stable enough. The chittering, clicking, and hissing of lyleks grew louder and louder as N’Haru advanced with a flurry of strikes, none really intended to hit or harm the Inquisitor, only to delay, distract, and keep him on the defensive. Even without the threat of a lightsaber blade, the staff was still made of phrik and being hit with it would hurt regardless, which put him on a more defensive posture for almost a minute, before he swung back. As N’Haru blocked with his staff, the Inquisitor blinked at him as if only just realizing the N’Haru was holding the staff with one hand.

 

Eyes dropped as he looked for the other hand, only to discover it was holding a pistol just before the sound of a gunshot as N’Haru shot him in the torso with a slug-thrower. At the same moment as he was about to attempt to seize the staff, his opponent’s distraction distracted him as well as a massive lylek head rose above the surface as the queen emerged from the ground, as large as a whale in terms of dimensions.

 

“… time to go,” N’Haru said, leaping backward with his staff securely in-hand as he holstered the pistol midair, then twisted around to land facing the other direction. As he landed he ran, racing across the distance as the Sith debated it for only a second, then turned and put all his rage and frustration into making it back to his ship. N’Haru leapt through the air as his Master and mentor ascended the ramp of the ship, where Sor’A, K’Cela, S’Kara, and S’Kolu all stood, firing their blaster rifles at the lyleks. It did little more than to either distract or slow down the lyleks, but it was enough to give N’Haru the time he needed to get on the ship, at which point their firing ceased and the ramp quickly swept up and slammed shut. Then, the cloak ship’s engines gunned loudly and it ripped away at a high rate of speed as N’Haru collapsed from sheer exhaustion, a thick sheen of sweat covering him from head to toe.

 

“You okay, pet?” came Shane’s voice as he crouched beside his boy, and N’Haru smiled up at his Master affectionately in response.

 

“Just need rest. He managed to hit me, but I managed to make sure it wasn’t with his lightsaber, that thing’s somewhat large,” N’Haru replied, and Shane answered with a chuckle and a faint smile as he nodded.

 

“Good, let’s get you rinsed and in dry clothes, then, boy, we’re going to be meeting up with some new friends, soon,” he said, as he lifted his boy and physically carried him to the ladder. He went down first, then let his boy slide down it into his arms, carrying him to the third-deck showers to take care of the rinsing and drying.

 

“So was there anything other than an important crystal?”

 

“Yes, a large number of something Kazenna called Norris robes,” Shane answered as he applied soap to his boy while N’Haru leaned against the wall under the rain of cool water, savouring the cool sensation. The feeling of his Master’s Hands travelling over his body wasn’t bad, either.

 

“They’re made with some rare root, the Norris root, from a tropical planet called Almar. It’s used to make a reddish-orange dye, and when it’s applied to robes the dye conveys an admittedly rather fine colour, but also energy resistant. Sort of like, lightsaber armour, I guess, though it apparently works for resisting the energy of blaster fire, as well; does very little to protect you from slug-thrower weapons, though,” Shane continued.

 

“Almar? That’s…”

 

“Yeah, it’s in the Metharian Nebula, right in our homeworld’s backyard, practically,” Shane replied, “I remembered to ask, since I know you like the tropics, baby. Home to something called a marmaw, and somewhere under a billion people; they’re already affiliated with the Alliance, too, so we would probably receive a pretty nice welcome out there, once this war’s over I mean.”

 

“Sounds good, Master,” N’Haru replied, arching submissively as his Master’s Fingers touched his nuts, cupping them a bit as Shane washed him. He hadn’t sweated so bad he needed to wash, but his boy had worked up a thorough sweat, and needed far more care and pampering than just a quick rinse and then being pulled out of the water again. Shane’s knees bent as he lowered in front of his boy, rinsing his cock off before delivering a long lick as his hands slid lower, washing his way down to his boy’s lower extremities while his boy relaxed.

 

“Master, I can wash my…” started N’Haru, before arching with a soft whimper as his Master bit him firmly, but only for a moment, until the boy fell silent.

 

“Shut up, bitch,” Shane admonished gently, fingers sliding down around N’Haru’s ankles, before he forced one leg to lift so he could continue to wash, “I take care of my things. You belong to me and on the rare occasion that you exhaust yourself protecting me, you are going to be pampered, and that’s final. Do I make myself clear, slut?”

 

“Yes, Master,” N’Haru answered, cheeks flushing with a blush as his Master pampered him by bathing him from head to toe, very literally. Once the slave’s feet were both planted on the floor, he arched with a soft whimper and fingers curled against the wall behind him as he felt his Master’s Lips touching his cock once more. This time, Shane’s lips spread as he took his boy’s cock into his mouth and sucked gently, bobbing his head slow and steady the way he knew his pet liked. For asexuals, sex was irrelevant, but for those who were interested in sex, sex oftentimes played a vital role in relaxation and maintaining one’s good health. As N’Haru whimpered softly in pleasure, Shane smiled at how it sounded in his ears to know his boy was happy and healthy, even as he could vaguely sense someone nearby, though not anywhere he could’ve seen them if he looked around. He could only presume it was Kazenna; she wouldn’t intrude on their intimate time uninvited, and as an asexual, she had no interest in watching it or joining it. She had expressed an impressive understanding of the value of it, however.

 

It didn’t take long, but that was how Shane liked it; he knew how to satisfy the only cock that was ever going to be in his mouth for any reason, and it made him proud to know he could get his boy off promptly. As honey-sweet release flowed into his mouth, he drank it with enthusiasm, drew out the last drops and swallowed those, then stood and kissed his pet lovingly on the lips once more, and smiled as he felt his boy’s hands slip around his hips.

 

“Oh, Master,” whispered N’Haru as Shane broke the kiss and pulled his head back a little, “I love You.”

 

“I love you, too, baby. How do you feel?”

 

“Very refreshed, thank you,” N’Haru replied shyly, and Shane nodded with a smile.

 

“Let’s go get dried off and put on some dry clothes, then,” he said with a nod of his head, and N’Haru followed quietly, obediently, until they stepped out into the hall, dried and dressed. Kazenna stood up and stretched a bit as they stepped into the hall, and smiled warmly at both of her pupils.

 

“You did impressively well, N’Haru. I noticed something strange just now, though,” she said, looking from N’Haru to his Master once she had said the slave’s name, “Shane, did you realize that you were channeling the Force a bit in there?”

 

“I … uh, I was only making sure my pet was healthy and recovering properly,” Shane replied.

 

“You don’t have to dance around the topic. I realize you were trysting, and that’s not what I meant; it’s why I did not intrude, but it isn’t what I was talking about,” Kazenna said, “What I mean is, you were using Force Healing on your boy while you two were doing whatever it is you were doing.” Shane blinked and tilted his head a little in surprise but he nodded faintly; if anyone would know he was doing something he didn’t realize he was doing himself, at least with regards to the Force, she’d certainly be it.

 

“I take it from your blank expression that you weren’t even aware you were using the Force,” she said, and when her younger pupil nodded, she nodded back, “Figured as much. You were using your sentiments of concern, compassion, and love, to direct recuperative energies into your boy; I suspect your boy may very likely do something similar when you need it. I’ve never seen it occur in quite the way you two do it, but I’m going to try to teach you two how to use the Force to heal without needing to be intimate with the person you’re healing.”

 

“I look forward to continuing our training,” Shane said with a nod, “I feel we’ve both learned a great deal from your continued mentoring.” Kazenna smiled appreciatively, glad to hear that for one who’d never taken padawans before, she was a good mentor to pupils.

 

“Do we know what the crystal actually does, yet?”

 

“Not yet,” Kazenna replied, turning her eyes to N’Haru in answer, with a faint roll of her shoulders in accompaniment, “It will take a stronger Force-sensitive than I to unlock the secrets of that crystal, or at least more numerous than just the three of us. We’ll be taking all of this to Lady Windmere Wellen, her ship will be able to relocate these items into Jedi care, where they can do the most good for everyone.”

 

“Leaving the Ryloth system now, engaging hyperdrive,” T’Lor informed over the shipboard intercom, right before he and M’Kan took the ship into hyperdrive, heading for their rendezvous point with Wellen’s freighter. Shane’s mind, however, was focused on where the rebellion would need them next: somewhere else in the Outer Rim, or would they soon travel into the galactic centre? He’d never been there; it would’ve been a lie to say he was not at least curious.

 

“Well, my slave and I will be ready for training tomorrow morning, as usual,” Shane said, and Kazenna nodded with a smile as she looked at them, with the Master’s arm wrapped gently around his boy. Shane could sense unfamiliarity, but approval, which made him happy and as she climbed up to the cargo bay, he turned his attention toward his boy.

 

“So what do you want to do with the rest of the evening, pet?”

 

“Sleep,” N’Haru replied as he looked up at his Master submissively, and Shane just smiled and shook his head lightly, “All right baby, let’s get to bed, then.” He drew his boy to their room, closed and bolted the door, and went to bed; he knew his boy was legitimately and reasonably drained, so he bypassed their normal ritual; they’d make up for it in the morning.


	8. The Sochi Incident

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The crew of the Nighthawk travels to the imperial vacation world of Sochi, to make a strike on a secret intelligence station of the Imperial Security Bureau...

Following the rendezvous with Windmere’s freighter, they moved from the system it was in to another system where they had not been encountered yet by the Empire, in the interest of security. As they sat for breakfast after what was a rigorous training session for Kazenna, Shane, and N’Haru, Kazenna took a breath as she sat with her fingers curled around the handle of a cup of coffee.

 

“The Alliance received some back-channel intel while we were on Ryloth. A high-ranking imperial intelligence officer wishes to defect, but she’s in a precious situation: call it a crisis of conscience, I suppose, but she’s deep inside imperial territory, at a secret imperial intelligence facility on Sochi,” Kazenna said informatively.

 

“Sochi is in the heart of the Empire. It is going to be swarming with soldiers and a considerable armada,” K’Shar said.

 

“Sadly for us, we’re one of the only ships in the alliance that has a working cloaking device that they can’t track yet,” Kazenna replied, and K’Shar nodded.

 

“Guess I know our next destination,” he said as he nodded to T’Lor and M’Kan, who moved to the cockpit as soon as their breakfasts were finished, “It’ll take us at least three days to get there and another to make our stealth approach. I’d recommend you train hard in that time, but I’ve seen the way you three go at it in your practice sessions.”

 

“Did our defector provide us with any specifications about a location to pick her up, anything about what to expect in terms of enemy manpower, who if anyone we shouldn’t shoot on sight other than herself?” asked Shane, and Kazenna nodded, taking out a tablet device and tapped it a couple times. It brought up a holographic projection of the facility’s structure in three dimensions and multicoloured so that one could see everything clearly from electrical to ventilation, and even had moving parts. The overall image was blue, with moving red icons, moving silver icons, infrastructures of white and green, and a handful of moving black icons.

 

“Blue is the facility structure itself. White is electrical conduits and power lines, green is ventilation pies and shafts. Red icons are imperial soldiers and silver icons are civilians that should not be shot unless they try to interfere, one of those silver icons is our defector; her icon is the blinking one. A black icon represents a Sith apprentice, they’ll have lightsabers and might represent our strongest opposition on the ground. There’s something else to know: these Sith, they’re the apprentices of that Inquisitor we encountered on Ryloth. It will undoubtedly unhinge him if we go in there, kill all of his apprentices, kidnap an imperial intelligence officer, but those are our priorities: if we can do some data mining as well, do it, but our priority is to locate and extract this woman,” Kazenna answered thoroughly. She paused a moment, then, touching a few more buttons, before a flickering silver holographic image appeared, representing the woman herself.

 

“Our priority acquisition target is the woman, Commander Emilia Corleone; according to her own file, included as a good faith gesture on her part in the initial outreach, her height is 172.75 centimetres, weight 72.6 kilograms, born in Year 948 after the Ruusan Reformation,” Kazenna continued.

 

“So she should be about, what, forty-six right now?”

 

“Thereabouts, yes,” she replied as she nodded to N’Haru and then continued, “Hair colour listed as dark brown, eyes dark green, complexion listed as peach.”

 

“Peach? Seriously, the imperial database uses the word peach?” asked Shane, a little surprised.

 

“I guess it depends on who’s creating and maintaining the military file; apparently, Emilia Corleone does use the word ‘peach,’ as a colour descriptor for complexions,” Kazenna said, then touched a few more buttons. Emilia’s appearance vanished, replaced by four new holographic images, each one rotating independently on its’ own vertical axis.

 

“These, are our assassination targets, they’re the apprentices of Inquisitor Ogden Thorpe,” Kazenna continued, “their names are recorded as part of the Commander’s good faith gesture: Danica Liman, Kristov Shaw, Armand Shad, and Boris Frauhaus. All are quite a bit shorter than Ogden is, but are strong in the Force and budding future Inquisitors, listed as his finest apprentices and most likely to become active Inquisitors in the next two years. They’ve all fought and killed their way to where they are now, so they’re no inexperienced weaklings. Liman uses a two-handed approach with a long-handled lightsaber, Kristov wields two standard lightsabers, Armand combines Force-use and lightsaber combat, and Boris uses a lightsaber greatsword similar to Ogden’s weapon of choice and a similarly aggressive combat style.” Then she tapped the tablet again, deactivating it and removing it from the table, before turning her attention to her pupils.

 

“Also, since you favour slug-throwers, I acquired some special munitions for the mission from Lady Wellen, it’s down in the cargo bay right now. Seventy shots for each of you in advanced armour-piercing rounds, designed for maximum post-armour damage to ensure most hits will kill in one; use your guns until you’re through those ten clips. We’ll need our energy for the fight against the Inquisitor’s apprentices; Sor’A, silence them with a hack to give us time to get in and get out before the imperial armada notices we’re there,” Kazenna continued.

 

“Why the sudden change of heart?” was Shane’s question.

 

“Her curiosity got the best of her. She did some digging she wasn’t supposed to do somewhere she wasn’t supposed to do it, and she found out about Ogden’s past. Whatever she found, it shook her faith in the Empire’s righteousness,” Kazenna replied, “Enough to defect when the opportunity presented itself to try. The ground-station is operating right now at less than operational capacity and that’s made it vulnerable. An imperial engineering team is in the facility, at least some of those silver icons you saw, overhauling the alarm and surveillance hardware, complicating security with unfamiliar faces and potentially compromised systems. This’ll let Sor’A knock out their communications without the Empire immediately realizing there’s a problem, because the engineering team could very easily hit something they’re not supposed to in all that hardware. One last thing: the defector acquisition cannot look like she’s defecting, it needs to look like a rebel assault team attacked and took prisoners.”

 

“Which means we’ll have to haul out some of those silver icons you mentioned,” Shane observed, and Kazenna gave a nod in answer, “this means we’ll also need the assistance of some of the rest of you.”

 

“S’Kara, S’Kolu, K’Cela, you three accompany them to take out the imperial soldiers and acquire prisoners,” K’Shar selected, and the twins and the arms master all nodded in answer.

 

“Windmere gave us binding clamps as well, we’ll use them to clamp their wrists when we take the prisoners, and the Commander must be clamped, too; her subordinates need to think she’s a prisoner, also,” Kazenna said, “Try to take the highest-ranking targets you can. We want those left behind to describe this as a precision strike, not haphazardly seizing just whomever we saw; sectional officers, any unarmed intelligence officers or any who surrender themselves, that sort of thing. You three, don’t engage the Sith apprentices directly, you don’t have close-range weapons and using blasters they might be able to inflict severe harm by deflecting a blaster bolt back at you.”

 

“Understood, and we will happily comply with that,” K’Cela assured the zabrak ex-Jedi assiduously, “I’ve also been working on something that might help here. A sort of nerve rocket – sort of like a nerve gas grenade, but spread out a lot more over a far greater area being a rocket, fired from the appropriate launcher. It explodes when it hits something and catapults any remaining gas over a blast radius, but it starts streaming the nerve gas after about seven metres. It’s got enough gas in it to spread the gas out over an area of three thousand cubic metres, though only around a maximum of one hundred metres from when it starts releasing to when it finishes.”

 

“So it’s a dense-gas weapon for disabling enemies in a confined area; sounds like it could be useful, bring it,” Kazenna said with a nod, and K’Cela nodded. It was going to be a tough mission, certainly, but Shane could tell their mentor’s feelings about its’ potential for success were favourable at least, possibly even good.

 

For the next few days, at least, they put as much of their time into training as possible, while the ship travelled across a somewhat small section of the galaxy to the planet of Sochi in the Colonies region. N’Haru was, at least, optimistic and enthusiastic about the mission, looking forward to a strike operation on not only an imperial planet, but an imperial vacation planet under the direct protection of an imperial armada.

 

 

* * *

 

 

 

On the morning of their arrival in the Sochi system, Shane and N’Haru were able to abstain from the normal training, as they would require all of their energy for the mission, itself. They armoured up, strapped on the bonus ammunition clips and the holsters for Shane’s lightsabers while N’Haru say on a crate with his staff propped against it, fingers of both hands curled around it loosely. As they waited, they heard M’Kan’s voice over the shipboard intercom, warningly advising them of the situation in the system.

 

“Bypassing the imperial fleet now; I count thirteen transports, Action Six class, nine Gladiator-class Star Destroyers, seven Dreadnought-class Heavy Cruisers, and an Allegiance-class Battlecruiser. This system is an imperial stronghold, welcome to hell, folks. Entering planetary atmosphere in five, four, three, two, and…” As he trailed off, there was the familiar shudder of reentry as they passed into the gaseous atmosphere of the planet and felt the artificial gravitational generators deactivate in response.

 

“On the plus side, the planet is beautiful,” T’Lor added over the shipboard intercom, “Frack the Empire for seizing it. At least they haven’t destroyed the wonder of this place and turned it into some metropolis like Coruscant or Corellia.”

 

“Approach vector locked, initiating descent,” M’Kan reported, in turn, as they felt the sensation of the ship descending toward the planetary surface, for more than twenty minutes before the descent stopped and they felt the ship slow to what must have been practically a crawl.

 

“And if you will look out your starboard window, ladies and gentlemen, you will notice the canoeing team from the nearby storm trooper retirement home,” T’Lor joked over the intercom in a calm, dry voice. The ship had many sensors but had no windows, though it did have holographic window interfaces connected to some external hull sensor ports.

 

“Brace for landing in five, four, three, two, and…” came the voice of M’Kan, trailing off about a second and a half in advance of the ship touching down and stabilizing on a solid surface. Then, they stood and moved to the hatch, as the ramp opened in silent mode, which took about four times as long, but made no sound to give away their presence, if anyone happened to be nearby. As it opened, they found themselves inside an open-entrance hangar in the Imperial Security Bureau’s secret operational base on the planet. Descending the ramp, the six of them found the hangar to be, at least for the moment, occupied only by themselves, the Nighthawk, and half a dozen imperial shuttles. There was sufficient room, however, to land a light freighter for supply deliveries, if they moved the shuttles out of the way first, at least. Looking around for a moment, Kazenna motioned them toward the entrance of the hangar bay.

 

“This may be our only chance to see this, and you should really see this before we burst in and start shooting things,” Kazenna advised. Approaching the entrance, which was about a kilometre across and about three hundred metres tall, they saw the reason that Sochi was considered a vacationer’s paradise. The walls of the canyons rose up to an elevation of two thousand two hundred and twenty-five metres, with verdant trees and thick grass on the summit. The canyon’s sheer stone walls were adorned in dense green moss and flowering vines that clung against the canyon walls and hung as much as two thousand metres down toward the water below. The canyons were made by a crisscross of waterways recorded as being around one thousand six hundred seventy-six and a half metres across at their widest points, with a depth of up to eleven hundred metres in some places. Through the swooping zigzag of the canyon, roundabout a dozen kilometres away, they could see a waterfall, with the water descending the full distance from the summit in a beautiful, broad curtain of whitewater. All throughout the canyons, the walls were alive with colour, vibrantly pigmented flowers growing along the vines, and chittering little birds flitting about between alongside bright black-and-yellow insects. The waterways themselves were somewhere between crystal-clear and sparkling blue-green, depending how close one was to them, and as they looked out from the entrance, they could see they were about twenty metres above the water’s surface.

 

“Imperial bastards,” Shane breathed as he looked at the beauty beyond the hangar’s eternally open entryway, before turning and drawing his pistol, feeling entirely prepared to shoot someone. Seeing the magnificence of the vicinity in which the Empire did undoubtedly unspeakable things, none of them could’ve claimed to feel differently, progressing quickly to a pair of double doors that would grant them entrance into the facility proper. Even as K’Cela considered a nice application of explosives to blast through it, the door opened as a pair of storm troopers came through. Too swift for them to react, N’Haru and Shane had shot them dead, the former hitting his target in the throat while his Master’s shot went straight through the second soldier’s visor. The sound of it was undoubtedly enough to get the attention of the nearest troopers, and as the doors remained open, a voice radiated throughout the base over an internal intercom.

 

“Hostiles in the hangar bay, shots fired! All soldiers to battle stations!” came the orders of an officer who sounded as if they were male to N’Haru. The thundering sound of armoured boots filled the air and blaster bolts whipped through the open doorway even before they realized the armed hostiles weren’t just standing there politely waiting to be shot.

 

“Are you about ready, K’Cela?” asked S’Kara, who received a nod in answer, and the twins nodded quickly in return. Blaster rifles in hand, they rolled out from behind the walls and fired a few warning shots, not really hitting anyone, but causing ninety metres of enemy troopers to jump out of the hallway into perpendicular corridors that crossed this particular hall. Immediately, K’Cela moved out into the open with her rocket launcher, and fired the first of two rockets she brought with her for this purpose. At just about seven metres ahead of her, it released a cloud of dark green gas a metre backward and trailed it down the hallway, hitting the wall at the end with a burst of fire and gas. Anyone standing within two metres of the impact site would have potentially risked being burnt to death by the explosion as it hit, but the nerve gas that billowed out thickly in every direction was far more dangerous. They heard the sound of armoured forms falling with a series of heavy thunking sounds as the nerve gas penetrated their breathers and knocked them out cold, as well as disorienting the station’s defensive organization for a minute. Quickly, the six of them rushed into the hall, locating those without armour and using the clamps to lock their wrists together behind their back, hauling them out into the hall for ease of access to K’Shar and G’Brel. Even as Kazenna, Shane, and N’Haru clamped the wrists of a dozen intelligence officers, the twins and K’Cela made a point of unloading some blaster bolts into the motionless then-corpses of the gassed imperial soldiers.

 

“Don’t want them waking up,” K’Cela said as the other three used the Force to somewhat gingerly fling unconscious intelligence personnel down the hall toward the hangar. It took a few minutes to clear the entire hallway, ascertaining that all armoured troopers were dead and that any unarmoured received the appropriate clamping of their wrists and a relatively unceremonious flight toward the hangar. Soon, though, they heard the sound of additional boots thundering in the several hallways of the facility, and took up defensive positions in the central hall, the only one that connected to the hangar for the moment. There were two emergency exit corridors, but those had been temporarily disabled by the engineering team in the course of their upgrading of the facility’s security protocols and hardware.

 

“Sor’A?” questioned Kazenna over their ear-coms.

 

“Oh, sorry; communications are offline, took them down while you were admiring the scenery. Didn’t want to disturb you,” Sor’A replied, in a somewhat sheepish tone of voice. Even as he answered, blaster bolts whipped down the hall past where they had taken up defensive positions, K’Cela’s nerve gas having allowed them to take out roughly three dozen of them so far. As there was a lull in enemy firing, Shane nodded to N’Haru and the two of them moved across the junction of the hall, shooting in opposite directions. They moved slowly enough that they each emptied one of the clips in their slug-throwers while the imperial soldiers’ firing line was reloading, dropping fourteen more imperials in the process. Simultaneously, the twins had moved back to back into the hall, unloading into an unknown number of white-armoured troopers on either side while K’Cela was reloading her rocket launcher and moving into cover. When the imperials resumed firing, Shane and N’Haru quickly moved to circle around them, sneaking into a position behind one of the firing squads and unloading clips into them. Even as the imperial soldiers realized they were being fired on from a flanked position, the two young men released one clip and snapped in a second as they continued to shoot them until they’d dropped twenty-eight more.

 

“Clip count,” Shane demanded quietly as they took cover while another platoon turned to fire at them.

 

“Seven left,” N’Haru answered his Master’s query promptly, and Shane nodded to indicate he had the same amount, before they heard the sound of lighter boots moving toward them from another direction and turned. Keeping in their covered positions to avoid being shot at from behind, they fired on a new platoon approaching from the opposite side, emptying another clip each as the twins flanked the ones behind them. Even as the ones behind them fell to fire from the twins’ blaster rifles, Shane and N’Haru withdrew toward Kazenna, emptying an additional clip each in the process.

 

“K’Cela?” asked Shane as he rejoined them, noting her absence.

 

“Hitting one of the emergency exits with the nerve gas, the entire imperial engineering team was working in there,” Kazenna replied, “our other engineers are clamping and dragging them right now.” Even as she spoke, K’Cela rejoined them in the firefight, switching back to her own blaster rifle of preference as additional imperial soldiers approached and adopted firing positions. They still hadn’t made it to the defector yet, but they knew they were close, according to the schematics, and they were withdrawing in that direction until Kazenna jerked and motioned for them to cease their approach as she sensed the Sith apprentices nearby.

 

“Boys, how many shots do you still have with your slug-throwers?” she asked, as imperial soldiers seemed as if they simply kept materializing out of nowhere, perhaps more than they had been informed should have been there, right at this moment.

 

“All out,” Shane replied, their guns holstered as N’Haru focused on his staff and Shane on his blades, though they had yet to train with deflection of blaster-fire. Onboard a ship wasn’t really a great place for that particular kind of training, there were a lot of things on the ship that wouldn’t respond well to blaster fire.

 

“Well, we’re about to need to switch to close combat anyway,” Kazenna replied, looking over her shoulder toward the twins and the marine, “You may want to get out of these hallways, move into some of the office sections, quickly.” At that, the three nodded and made an unexpectedly ferocious push on the last remnants of the soldiers in the facility, pushing out of the danger of being face to face with a Sith as they neared one of the more important offices.

 

“I don’t care, Inquisitor Thorpe is not here right now. I am in command of this base, and I told you to get out of this office and kill those damned rebels!” a woman shouted angrily, before a pair of double doors opened and a quartet of black-robed figures emerged. They promptly split up into different hallways as some moved to circle around and come at the trio from a different direction, and Kazenna moved out of the main thoroughfare to one of the junctions while Shane mimicked her movement on the other side.

 

“You got this?” asked Shane as he looked toward N’Haru, toward whom the apprentice identified as Boris was now approaching. N’Haru propped his staff against the ground, leaned against it and looked toward his Master, for just an instant ignoring the approaching Sith so blithely that the apprentice stopped and stared in disbelief.

 

“You even need to ask?” came the Bpfassh’s question for his Owner, who motioned promptly toward the nevertheless very large form of the Inquisitor apprentice.

 

“Fine, fine, I don’t like beating up weak apprentices, but okay,” N’Haru commented as he stood upright and turned to face the inquisitor-apprentice, who glowered at him angrily even as his cohorts appeared in corridors to approach his Master from one direction and their mentor from another.

 

“I am not a weak apprentice, you runt,” growled Boris with agitation, activating his greatsword lightsaber, a slim pillar of bright red forming ahead of him as he narrowed his eyes at his far shorter opposition, “… well?”

 

“What?”

 

“Are you going to activate your weapon or not?”

 

“Why should I?”

 

“… because we’re going to duel.”

 

“I haven’t needed the blade when I fought your master, I’m certainly not going to need it to smoke your ass like bantha at a barbecue,” N’Haru replied, and Boris glowered at him, then charged and brought his blade down in an overhead cleave his opponent had seen before. N’Haru simply sidestepped from it and then wheeled around, slamming one foot into the back of Boris’ hip, knocking him forward down the hall and toward the hangar, even as N’Haru heard a sound behind him. He knew where the fourth apprentice was based on that sound, and noted that his Master was engaging the dual-wielding Kristov while their mentor was facing Armand on the other side. It meant he was in between both of the apprentices who favoured holding their weapon in both hands, though Danica wasn’t near enough yet to take a swing at him.

 

“You know, that’s a pretty large lightsaber blade you’ve got there, Boris,” N’Haru observed as the tall apprentice was stumbling back to his feet and turning to face him.

 

“… what’s your point?” demanded Boris as he turned around and swung in a downward-angled slash, which N’Haru blocked easily with a double-handed upward sweep of his staff.

 

“Oh, nothing, it’s just… well, with a blade that size, it kind of seems like you’re overcompensating for something.”

 

“Ha!” came the sound of a derisive laugh behind the Bpfassh as Annabelle found herself unable to resist laughing at the short alien’s dig at her colleague’s expense. Boris’ eyes narrowed as he snarled and swung his blade again, though as Danica was closing behind him, N’Haru sidestepped once more, this time slamming a foot into Boris’ shin and tripping him forward at her. Her eyes widened and she leapt sideways as he face-planted into the steel paneling of the hallway floor, smacking her back against the wall in the process.

 

“Whoa!”

 

“You know, you really shouldn’t laugh, though, Danica,” N’Haru commented as he turned his attention toward her smoothly, even as Boris was pushing himself up off the floor.

 

“And why is that?” she growled, advancing on him with the long handle of her lightsaber in both hands, a deep, angry red-pink blade ignited on it.

 

“Well, I mean, Boris may be overcompensating for not having a modest endowment at best, but your weapon, well…”

 

“What’s wrong with my weapon, you insolent little brat?” she demanded.

 

“Well, again, the blade length is a little bit long, like you’re overcompensating for not having a cock, and with a handle that long, it seems like you might be ‘wielding’ it when it’s inactive, too, if in a different way,” N’Haru replied, ‘going there,’ and doing so with total disregard for anything vaguely resembling courtesy.

 

“Ha!” snorted Boris from his hands and knees, as Danica’s eyes widened with a combination of fury and humiliation as she made a lunging thrust at his throat. He twisted out of the way, blocking with his staff and bringing it down in a way that dragged her forward as he seized her by the throat. Filling himself with the Force, he wheeled around, released her and used the Force to hurl her backwards, slamming back-first into the back of her companion just as he got to his feet, throwing them both onto the steel floor face-first. Bypassing his characteristic tendency to make fun of enemies in close-quarters combat, he glanced to one side where his Master was fighting Kristov, then in the other direction to where his mentor was engaging Armand. Satisfied that both were holding steadily, even if he knew neither his mentor nor his Master would ever likely need his help in single combat, he refocused on the two remaining apprentices while they rose to their feet.

 

“You’re one impertinent little bastard,” Boris growled as he turned to face the shorter male, with Danica standing to his direct left. Even as he adopted a defensive posture, he heard a shout and a groan of pain, and caught sight of his mentor impaling the inquisitor apprentice on her light-sai before cleaving him in two large sections with her lightsaber. As he fell, Kazenna whirled around and made a lunge for Danica, forcing the apprentice to leap backward at the same moment as Boris was lunging at N’Haru once more. A loud hum filled the air as N’Haru blocked the blade and made eye contact with the large male, even as he heard another pained grunt and saw the apprentice his Master was fighting had just lost his arm above the elbow to his Master’s shoto. A second later, his Master’s blade flashed and cut him in two additional pieces, as N’Haru jumped back and blocked another strike from the tall apprentice.

 

“You know, and I mean since you’re about to die I know this is kind of pointless advice,” N’Haru said, agitating the apprentice further, “but a weapon that size isn’t really convenient in a hallway.”

 

“…you’re using a staff,” Boris pointed out, and N’Haru rolled his shoulders a little, sidestepping another attack before whirling around and slamming his staff into the man’s back, knocking him face first into the floor again.

 

“Yes, but I know how, and besides, I don’t have to worry about accidentally getting my blade stuck in a wall, since I haven’t activated the blade,” N’Haru pointed out in response, “Now, I kind of hate to cut this short because we have been having such a nice heart-to-heart conver-”

 

Even as he spoke, he sensed the apprentice’s rage building, and quickly leapt back and focused on the discipline of tutaminis as an arcing bolt of red lightning whipped toward him. He blocked with his staff, taking a deep breath and sighing in relaxation.

 

“Ahh, that’s rather nice, like a cool breeze wafting off a fragrant stream,” he replied, much to the apprentice’s irritation, “Now, as I was saying… I hate to cut this short, but I kind of have to kill you before my companions finish killing off the last of your companions.”

 

“You arrogant little fracking…”

 

“I promise, I’ll try to make this as quick as I can,” he said, as Boris was still stumbling to his feet, before delivering a powerful thrusting strike with the butt of his staff. It struck the apprentice in the back of the neck, shattering one bone in the column of his spine and killing him instantly, eyes widening in sudden lifelessness as his body went slack, soon dropping to its’ knees and then thunking face-first into the floor for the last time. As he turned, he saw the combined efforts of his mentor and Master rendering Danica a dissected corpse, as well, then noticed their comrades returning with a number of prisoners, and frightened imperial employees staring out of the doorframes of offices. A few seconds later, and with the sound of some scuffling, an unconscious Commander was carried out, wrists clamped behind her back, on K’Cela’s shoulder.

 

“Stupid bitch wouldn’t come quietly,” K’Cela growled, “tried to fight all damn three of us off.” More for the benefit of those who were going to tell the story of what happened here than because they’d actually beaten the commander unconscious, since N’Haru could tell she was still awake, but no imperials still breathing would’ve known that much.

 

“By the way, you lot,” N’Haru said as his Master, mentor, and fellow Bpfasshi were extracting from the facility, in at least somewhat of a hurry, “Do me a favour and make sure that when Inquisitor Thorpe arrives, you tell him his friend from Ryloth says he should’ve trained his bitches better.” Then, he turned and bolted down the hallway to the hangar, even as Kazenna looked at him somewhat incredulously as he ran up onto the ramp into a cargo bay containing about fifty prisoners, at least supposedly including the Commander.

 

“Was that really necessary? You know that’s just going to piss off that inquisitor,” Kazenna said as the ramp closed, and the cloaked ship moved out of the hangar.

 

“I do, that’s why I made sure he knew who just killed his best apprentices; he may get stronger when he’s furious, but he also loses battle focus,” N’Haru replied, and Kazenna nodded faintly in approval. As the ship slid out of the hangar bay and into the chasm, the ship ducked low faster than expected, and they felt the artificial shipboard gravitational field emitters reactivate despite being in an atmosphere as the ship twisted. Aligned vertical instead of horizontal, the ship ducked again.

 

“Hold on, folks, looks like their communications blackout ended faster than expected and those survivors got the word out that the station was raided; good thing you didn’t stay to try to do any data mining,” T’Lor said over the shipboard intercom. He didn’t know if they actually had or not, but even if they had, it was better the prisoners be unaware of it; a few minutes later, M’Kan spoke over the intercom, as well.

 

“Exiting planetary atmosphere in five, four, three, two, and…” came M’Kan’s voice, followed by a pause, and then he continued, “Bypassing imperial armada; initiating hyperdrive in five, four, three, two, and…” As he trailed off for a second time the ship lurched in that telltale manner that indicated they had entered hyperspace and were now securely away from the Sochi system, prisoners acquired and defector intact. It showed on the faces of many of the prisoners, they were disappointed by the Empire’s failure to rescue them within minutes of their being captured, especially right under the nose of an imperial armada. It also showed that many of them looked as if they were fearful of what might happen to them, how they might be treated, and how soon they could probably expect to be executed. Between ankles and wrists being shackled, the former done once they were inside, while they were still unconscious, and while part of the crew was still in the facility, they couldn’t really do anything except sit and wait for their fate. Sadly, that by no means suggested a silent stoicism on all parts, though it thankfully exhibited itself in precisely that manner for about half of them while the other half complained variously for the next four days.

 

Finally, the prisoners were handed off to another rebel ship, one more intentionally modified to be used as a prisoner transport vessel to relocate them to a rebel base for interrogation. Once the last prisoners were transitioned across the docking tube, except for the commander, who was struggling and making a show of giving them a hard time until the prisoners were out of sight, Lady Windmere Wellen crossed onto the Nighthawk.

 

“Are they all secure?” asked Commander Corleone, immediately dropping the charade with no one remaining to play it up for the benefit of whom.

 

“Yes,” Windmere replied, “and on behalf of the Alliance, we thank you for your decision to join our cause.”

 

“Once I learned that Inquisitor Thorpe had murdered his own parents, I couldn’t quash my curiosity. Once I learned what he had done to his own sister, what our superiors had _encouraged_ him to do to his own sister, simply to demonize the rebels… I found myself questioning everything the Empire stood for. Left breast pocket,” she replied, causing the rebel intelligence officer to fish into her pocket before pulling out a data tablet, “His file is in there. The most pertinent point is that when he decided to join the Empire, he was ordered to kill his parents. Once he did so, he was ordered to pose as a rebel saboteur, abduct his sister, and do whatever it took to make her into a hardline imperial loyalist by any means necessary. Thorpe _suggested_ raping her, and our superiors told him if he felt it was necessary, he had their full support in raping his own sister to make her hate all members of the rebel alliance,” Emilia reported, “files 8175 and 8176 are Ogden’s sickeningly detailed report of what he did to her.”

 

“I guarantee you, when you show her those files her loyalties will immediately switch to match her parents’ loyalties,” Emilia concluded, then took a deep breath and released a sigh, “All right, back to pretending to be a disgruntled captive of the ‘dirty rebels,’ now, before the subordinates you captured begin to wonder where I am.” A quick nod of farewell, then she hurried across the docking bay with a few ‘captors.’ As soon as she was close enough to be almost in earshot of the other captives, she began to make loud noises that sounded like an animated and energetic resistance to capture. At the same time, her escort started to manhandle her aggressively to ensure that once they were in sight of the ‘other’ prisoners, none would suspect that their commanding officer had switched loyalties. N’Haru had to give her credit for her acting abilities, and her willingness to be handled so roughly – she was certainly going to have abrasions all over her arms and lower torso, putting up a struggle like that!

 

“Your next mission will obviously need to take you to the planet of Uviuy Exen, the current location of the Inquisitor’s sister, Imperatrix Lorna Thorpe. You’ll need to go undercover for this one, there’s too many imperial soldiers on the ground for a mission like that last one to have any chance of success, it houses an impressive imperial army garrison,” Windmere advised, and Shane nodded with a faint sigh, “I know. I don’t like it, either, but you carried yourself well, at Lady Caine’s gathering; we will establish the fiction that Lord Thorius has business on-world, and that that business has some reason to involve Imperatrix Thorpe. On the upside, Imperatrix Thorpe is asexual, so you will have no reason to be concerned about her potential reaction to a handsome young colonial Lord in her presence; she’s also quite a bit older than Lady Caine. Given the major imperial garrison on the ground and the fleet in orbit, however, you won’t be able to come in on the Nighthawk, because if Lord Thorius materializes out of nowhere on the planet, that will draw some unwanted attention and potentially compromise the cover. The Nighthawk will need to travel to Belazura, where you will board a slightly modified Crescent-class transport that Lord Thorius recently bought and ordered to receive slight security modifications.”

 

“The transport is largely considered a toy for rich kids, which fits with your cover identity as the youthfully handsome Lord Laine Thorius; the ship is named the Valiant, and when you leave the planet you’ll be escorted by two imperial Ton Falk-class escort carriers. Keep in mind, you’re a Lord in the Colonies region, so you’re accustomed to respectful treatment, looking down your nose at soldiers, and not tolerating anything less than an admiral giving you lip at all,” Windmere advised, and Shane nodded his understanding, “Good luck. Flipping Imperatrix Thorpe would be a major benefit to the Alliance.” Then, she turned and crossed back onto the ship she’d taken temporary command of for the prisoner transfer, and within twenty minutes, her ship had vanished into hyperspace to haul them to an alliance facility.

 

“Setting a course for Belazura,” K’Shar said, leaving to head to the cockpit with the instruction.

 

“Least we get to see where Laine’s from, exactly,” Shane observed, and N’Haru nodded as he followed his Master to the deck-three showers, their ship’s water supply freshly replenished due to their ‘visit’ to Sochi. Few people got the privilege of drinking Sochi spring water, but for at least the next few days, the Nighthawk’s crew would be drinking it and showering in it. Shane felt it was more than justifiable, though, all things being seen as equal most of the alliance deserved to be drinking the waters of the Sochi’s Verdant Canyon.


	9. Reawakened Renunciation

A few days of travel later, the Nighthawk descended into the atmosphere of the planet Belazura, above the manor of the actual Thorius Family. Shane and his boy had done some research on the family, and it turned out that the owning of slaves was not common for the family in the last sixty years or thereabouts. Or, leastwise, not the kind of imperialist slave-owning that Laine Thorius was now known for, but the family also had no current generation, either. There was someone old enough to be Shane’s mother, old enough to have had a child that was now eighteen years old, and private enough for Laine Thorius to have potentially existed in the schools he was alleged to have gone to. All of those schools had rebel leanings, of course, but that wasn’t exactly common knowledge and not every pupil that went there was of that sort, but given the personalized education they boasted? None of the graduates could’ve ever really said for certain that Laine hadn’t been in attendance at the private academy on Belazura where he had supposedly received education.

 

Overall, it was an impressively thorough cover background for someone who was brand new to the world of the spy game, of espionage and counterintelligence. His cover was equally well thought out: Lord Laine Thorius was seeking the imperatrix’s support to hold a charity gala on behalf of the Interstellar Children’s Aid Fund. Despite being a slave-owner, Laine Thorius would appear to be socially conscientious on the subject of children, which could certainly work as a helpful perception for Shane’s imperial nobleman cover identity.

 

“Belazura in sight; entering planetary atmosphere in five, four, three, two, and…” came the voice of T’Lor over the shipboard intercom, before the transition from artificial to authentic gravitation caused a sharp downward sensation, particularly with the ship moving toward the surface. The Thorius family estate was located atop one of the mountains of Belazura, and a cavern in the mountaintop had been transformed into a hangar bay, that section of the summit had been removed and replaced with hangar bay doors. Those doors were currently standing open because there was that Crescent-class transport preparing to take off, with Thorius family employees moving around and making themselves appear busy in the event that imperial eyes were watching. Even as the cloaked escort freighter slipped in through the doors and slowed to a near crawl as it manoeuvred into a position where it could not be seen through the doors before landing and uncloaking, the transport was being readied in a rush. Once the cloak was dropped and the ramp opened, the crew disembarked to meet their welcoming party, which included a woman that looked to be about forty years old. She had bright red hair and eyes of darkish green, close enough in colouring to his own that she could have been his mother quite easily, were his mother not deceased. At one hundred and seventy-five centimetres and about ninety-two kilograms, their physical stature was close enough, too, as well as her freckled apricot complexion.

 

“My, they said we looked somewhat similar, but the resemblance is quite remarkable, isn’t it?” asked the woman, her query admittedly somewhat rhetorical.

 

“You have no idea,” Shane replied, “you could easily have been my mother’s sister, had she had a sister, I mean. My name is Shane Morris, it’s a pleasure to meet you…” As he finished, he extended his hand, which she took, readily.

 

“Kayla Thorius,” she replied, shaking his hand, and then motioned for them to follow her, “All of you, come with me. Follow close and don’t deviate, if you get much nearer to the transport you’d be visible from orbit, and I’m sure those escort carriers are keeping an eye on what’s going on in here.” She led them in a circuitous path around the rim of the hangar, ensuring they were far from being able to be seen through the open hangar bay doors. Soon, they went through a door into the mansion proper, which was far more luxurious than anything Shane or N’Haru had seen in their lives, leastwise that they’d been in with the owner’s consent at any rate.

 

“So I am told that your companion, or at least the one shadowing you on the left, is your… property?”

 

“Correct,” Shane replied, “we met on our homeworld of Bpfassh. It isn’t where I was born, of course, but it’s where I lived almost my entire life before my parents were killed by the Empire, and where I lived on the streets until we met. His status as Mine is of course wholly consensual, I wouldn’t claim him as Mine if he didn’t prefer it that way, but he likes being My slave and I like the safe sensation I get from Owning him. His name’s N’Haru Olath, by the way, and you are more than welcome to speak with him at your leisure, but I’ll obviously have to take him with me when I go.”

 

“Of course, albeit once I heard I was to play mother, I must confess to having done at least some stuff that’s maternal; in the furtherance of your cover identity, you have your own chambers in the statehouse, now, and I purchased clothes for both you and your pet. Don’t worry, it is appropriate to your pet’s station, of course, but I believe I was told you’ve both got a waistline of about eighty-six and a third centimetres?”

 

“Er, yeah, but how did you…”

 

“Here we are, here are your chambers; they include a shower, feel free to bathe if you want though it looks like you’re already freshly-showered. Your pet’s clothes are in a small dresser at the foot of your bed, your clothes are in the large dresser and the wardrobe,” Kayla continued. As they entered the chambers and closed the doors, N’Haru moved over to the dresser mentioned as for his undercover clothes, kneeling down to open drawers to let him examine the contents, discovering a quick written note.

 

_Nobody is going to check your undergarments when you’re undercover, and comfort is important; I hope you are not allergic to cotton. These are high thread count cotton boxer-briefs, they should fit snugly, but tell me if there’s some other preference you would have and I’ll take care of it before the next time you boys come visit._ N’Haru blushed just a little as he read the note and then passed it to his Master, who blushed faintly as well before putting it on the bed, so they would remember to dispose of it later for security purposes. Either way, both young men stripped down and then started putting on the clothes that had been provided from the undergarments outward.

 

“Well, she’s right about the comfort at least,” N’Haru observed as he slid into a pair while his Master did the same for a similar pair found in his own dresser. Matching socks followed, calf-length for N’Haru and knee-height for Shane, who looked at his boy and grinned a little bit at him.

 

“Man, these are warm… we may have to wear these next time, what with those metal floors in our room on the ship,” Shane said with a wink. N’Haru nodded enthusiastically back to him.

 

“Yes, though probably best we not do anything of the sort on this mission. We can’t risk people thinking Lord Laine Thorius is a gentle Master, even if Lord Shane Morris certainly is,” N’Haru said, affectionately amending Lord to his Master’s name as a term-of-endearment. His Master blushed faintly but smiled, moving over to him and tugging back on his hair, angling his face up and pressing a kiss to his lips.

 

“I love you, you little slut,” Shane assured him, kissing him again before letting him go and resuming the process of dressing himself for the part of Lord Laine Thorius. He soon pulled on a pair of black cotton dress pants and a belt of soft, dark blue leather with a fancy silver buckle, a white dress shirt with quarter-length sleeves and dark blue buttons, and a handsome overcoat of soft black leather with a lining of dark blue silk.

 

“Well, this thing has some nice pockets inside, that’ll be useful,” Shane said with a nod of self-satisfaction, before he turned to his selection of footwear and selected a pair of calf-height boots of soft black leather with dark blue cotton laces and nickel fittings. He looked over to see his pet clothed in pants of cotton-lined charcoal-grey wool and a shirt of ash-grey wool with a similar cotton lining, a pair of ankle-height black boots with black laces and durasteel fittings, and a durasteel-buckled belt of black leather. His own belt was braided leather and not a simple straight band, but that fit the more stylish, refined look that a young Lord of the Colonies should demonstrate and which his slave should not be entitled to, according to imperial societal perceptions. It reinforced Shane’s perception that imperial nobility were generally assholes unless they were allying themselves with the rebellion, because he would’ve loved to see N’Haru in similar clothes to what he was getting to wear himself.

 

“You look quite dashing, Master,” N’Haru said with a smile as he stood up, looking over his own attire, he was clearly not happy about going into this mission unarmed, but he had the Force, so he was never completely defenseless, really. More than that, Kazenna had started to educate them in the legendary Jedi mind trick, though she was calling it simply Force Persuasion, it was one of the things she was best at, in fact. It simply couldn’t be used on a whole army, nor on trained Sith, so she rarely found occasion to use it anymore, whereas her new apprentices might have vital need for it, with all this undercover work.

 

“I wish I could say the same for you, pet. Apparently, it would make me look bad to the hardline imperials if my slave were dressed in clothes that accented his beauty; fracking imperial bastards,” Shane replied, agitated that he could not put his boy in clothes like his own new garments, approaching the door and opening it for his pet. He looked toward his boy and smiled at him, he liked how his pet looked right now, but that was because he felt N’Haru was completely gorgeous in just about anything.

 

“Someday, pet, I will buy you clothes like these,” he assured him, “I want to see My boy in the finest, most comfortable garments we can afford.” He turned, following his pet through the door and closing it behind him, blinking faintly as he found that Lady Thorius had waited for them to transition clothes. He handed her the handwritten notes she placed in both of their undergarment drawers, and she nodded quickly in response.

 

“Everything is comfortable, don’t worry,” N’Haru assured her, “well, not everything, but the important garments are.”

 

“Good,” she nodded in satisfaction, leading them back toward the hangar bay through the lavish mansion.

 

“Here is the information tablet you need to bring with you for Imperatrix Thorpe,” Kazenna said, handing Shane the device, which he quickly slipped into one of the large pockets on the inside of the overcoat, “And remember: you are there to seek Imperatrix Thorpe’s support in organizing a charity gala. You’ll tell her you have a proposition already drawn up that you would like her approval on so that you could set about the task of organizing a charity ball on Uviuy Exen for the Interstellar Children’s Aid Fund. There is in fact an actual organizational plan on there, but we have also programmed the tablet to recognize facial features, so when she takes it, whatever she touches on the tablet, the first file that opens will be her brother’s report on what he did to her. It’s harsh, but there’s no way she’ll read it voluntarily unless it opens first and she starts reading it before she knows what it is. Once she starts reading it, she won’t be able to make herself stop reading until she’s finished, at which point she will hopefully realize that she’s been deceived by the Empire, in the worst way imaginable.”

 

“Right; where will you be?”

 

“Right here waiting for your safe return, and meditating on the hope that the Force will guide and protect you,” replied Kazenna.

 

“You’re not coming with us?”

 

“None of us are. We can’t, it would compromise your cover identity – the Empire is looking for a human boy, bpfassh boy, and zabrak woman, travelling together. You also won’t be able to bring your weapons, you’ll need to rely solely on your intelligence and the Force, same as your last excursion as Laine Thorius,” Kazenna explained and he nodded.

 

“The Valiant seats two pilots and eight passengers. Other than us, who is coming?”

 

“A team of rebel marines undercover as Mandalorian mercenaries hired to protect the scion of House Thorius,” Kayla Thorius replied, “It helps that they are in fact actual Mandalorians, but they’re not mercenaries. For this mission, you are their commanding officer, so you have to be in command of them while pretending to be militarily inept, around imperial soldiers.”

 

“I swear, they never send us anywhere nice, do they, pet?” asked Shane rhetorically, looking sidelong at his pet while standing at the door to the hangar bay.

 

“Not once, Master,” N’Haru replied anyway, in commiseration of the sentiment, “You know, I’d be perfectly happy to have a mission to some remote, uninhabited, tropical planet in the Outer Rim.”

 

“All right,” Shane said, taking a deep breath and sighing, “Let’s get this show on the road, I guess.” While their friends and mentor remained behind, Kayla Thorius walked with her ‘son’ and his slave to the Crescent, in whose area stood now only the ten-man squad of Mandalorian marines, two of whom the transport’s pilots. As they approached, one of them extended his hand to Shane while giving a subtle nod of acknowledgment to N’Haru, as well.

 

“Lord Thorius, my company and I are honoured to have received the commission for your protection; trust and believe, you will be safe in our care,” the Mandalorian squad leader said, then stepped to the side and made a sweeping gesture of his hand toward the boarding ramp. Shane nodded before boarding, shadowed by his pet and then by the squad of Mandalorians, taking a seat and doing his best to relax as the transport quickly took off from the hangar bay and swept gracefully up into the sky toward space.

 

“Name’s Groff Demarcus, and don’t worry, we know who’s in charge of this mission and we know what’s at stake in this. Mission brief seemed pretty straightforward, rare on an op like this, but…”

 

“Approaching imperial escort carriers,” announced their pilot, and Shane stood up and walked toward the cockpit at a beckoning gesture from the copilot.

 

“Game faces on, gentlemen,” Groff ordered, and every Mandalorian quickly donned and straightened his helmet as a hail beeped on the console at the front of the ship.

 

“Lord Thorius, we are receiving a hail from Captain Noram Volth,” the pilot informed, and Shane nodded, pressing a button that established a visual connection between the two ships via holo-imaging systems.

 

“Ah, Lord Thorius; excellent to see you, I was concerned that we might be delayed in our departure. I take it everything is well on the Valiant?”

 

“Of course it is, Captain. You needn’t concern yourself,” Shane replied, intentionally downplaying the officer’s rank.

 

“I noticed, my Lord, that there was an unusually long period of your estate’s hangar doors being open. If you would prefer it, I could send over some engineers to…”

 

“That will not be necessary, Captain. My family employs some excellent and particularly fastidious technicians, who have assured me that the ship is in optimal condition; as for the open hangar doors… well, you have clearly never had the privilege of breathing the mountain air of Belazura. It is quite exquisite.” At Shane’s tone, the imperial captain’s reaction was a faint hint of a flinch, and a slightly more respectful nod as he swallowed self-consciously.

 

“Of course, my Lord; apologies, I meant no impertinence, I was but concerned for your Lordship’s continued wellness, as it is now my responsibility to see you safely to… ah…”

 

“Our destination is Uviuy Exen,” Shane supplied, and the Captain’s eyebrows furrowed, “Is there something wrong, Captain?”

 

“Apologies, my Lord, we were told this would be an important escort mission, but Uviuy Exen is one of the Empire’s most secure strongholds, surely we are not expecting trouble there…”

 

“Are you suggesting that these ships could be put to better purpose elsewhere, Captain?” asked Shane, one eyebrow rising archly at the potentially accusatory query. The Captain’s eyes widened faintly and he swallowed harder, before quickly shaking his head in answer.

 

“N-No, of course not, my Lord; surely, if our superiors commanded that we should escort you, the trip must be quite perilous and your business there must be of great importance,” the Captain compensated quickly for the potential gaff, and Shane nodded faintly, as if placated.

 

“Sync your ship’s navigational computers to the Valiant’s, and instruct your colleague to do the same on my authority, Captain. We will set path and pace,” Shane replied, with a deadpan expression of displeasure on his face up until he hit the button that disconnected the communication. He took a breath and released it in a faint sigh of relief as that bit was over, even as some of the Mandalorians chortled at the exchange. They said nothing in case the imperials might have been attempting to listen in on any conversations aboard the ship with long-range sensors, but amused soldiers were common enough. Shane smirked a little himself as he relaxed, then nodded to the pilot who promptly set their heading and their pace, and initiated the hyperdrives, with the two escort carriers quickly activating their own to keep pace as they synced with the Valiant’s navigational computers. It was a tense transit for Shane and N’Haru, sleeping in separate quarters for a few days, maintaining the charade of Lord Thorius and his slave, K’Soku Trisk. 

 

* * *

 

 

As they arrived in the system, Shane and N’Haru were sitting ready to depart the Valiant and get on with the mission; undercover work was not as glamourous as many people believed it to be. Shane, could simply barely wait to get back to the Nighthawk and have some intimate moments with his boy – several days of mission-induced abstinence proved an uncomfortable experience.

 

“Entering the Uviuy Exen system now; detecting fourteen Action VI transports, ten Gladiator II star destroyers, four Acclamator II assault ships, and a Praetor II battlecruiser, in orbit over the planet,” reported the pilot, a familiar feeling of being informed bolstering the comfort level of Master and slave alike.

 

“We are receiving a hail from the battlecruiser, originating from a… Commodore Dominic Rios, my Lord,” added the copilot, “Approach vector is locked; the Valiant and her escort are continuing toward the planet.” Shane stood, moving to stand in front of the communicator before he activated it and examined the salt-and-pepper hair and scruffy beard of the imperial officer in front of him.

 

“Ah, Lord Thorius; an honour to make your acquaintance, and welcome to Uviuy Exen,” the Commodore greeted in a voice cheerful and receptive, “I assure you, my Lord, you will be as safe here as if you stood in your own manor.”

 

“Thank you, Commodore. I am sure that now that we have arrived safely in the space your fleet protects, there should be nothing for me to be concerned of… you have swept the planet for rebel presence, of course, haven’t you?”

 

“A-Ah, well, no, my Lord, but between the consistency of our checks on all incoming craft and the oversight of our garrison on the ground, I assure you, you have no fear of any rebel infiltrator reaching you, my Lord,” the Commodore replied adamantly. Shane pursed his lips faintly as if contemplating, one eyebrow rising faintly in a hint of disdainful posturing, before he offered a faint nod.

 

“Very well, Commodore, I shall take your assurance. I’m sure that even the most brazen rebel scum wouldn’t be stupid enough to dare confront you, you’re clearly quite prepared for that.”

 

“Indeed, my Lord,” the Commodore replied with a surge of relief and self-pleasure, “Ah, that reminds me, my Lord; will you be bringing your escort vessels to the surface with you?”

 

“No, please order them to await us at coordinates near your fleet while I travel to the surface, for their protection. My security detail is quite professional, and I’m sure there are no rebel saboteurs in the Imperatrix’s fortress,” Shane said, and the Commodore nodded adamantly.

 

“Indeed, she is far more aggressive than even I am, in rooting out and eliminating rebel sympathizers, my Lord, you’ll surely be in no danger, there,” the Commodore assured him, and Shane nodded.

 

“Very good, Commodore, thank you,” Shane replied, touching the disconnect as the transport neared the atmospheric barrier and the escort carriers peeled off under the Commodore’s orders.

 

“Entering planetary atmosphere in three, two, one…” observed the pilot as Shane took a seat just before prior to their transport crossing the threshold. The familiar downward sensation heralded their descent as they proceeded down until a loud metallic clunk and a jerk of the ship demonstrated that they had landed. On a planet with a few million imperial soldiers, where rebels were decidedly unwelcome by pretty much everyone around, but it was also one of the planets the Empire considered most secure. Their presence, alone, was a symbolic strike against the Empire’s perceived safety.

 

Shane and N’Haru both rose as the boarding door opened and the boarding ramp lowered, at which point the ten-man squad of Mandalorians swept out ahead of them as an honour guard. Shadowed by his slave, K’Soku, behind and ever so slightly to the left of him, Laine Thorius walked strode confidently down the boarding ramp and waited as he was approached by a man in an imperial marine uniform. He stood at attention and waited for a moment until Laine granted him a nod, then stood at ease and introduced himself.

 

“My Lord Laine Thorius, I am Captain Marcus Bann, Imperial Marine Corps, attaché to the Imperatrix Lorna Thorpe; welcome to Uviuy Exen, my Lord,” the man greeted cordially, “I understand you have come to seek her Ladyship’s support to host a charity event, here? I must admit, my Lord, that is something I should very much like to see occur.”

 

“Indeed, Captain. The children of our galaxy have suffered much, and I would much like to be able to do something to enhance the welfare of those who have lost so much because of insurrectionist violence. For it to occur, however,” Shane answered in his role as Laine Thorius, using a voice of noble authority, “I must see the Imperatrix and ensure it would be possible to arrange such an event. Obviously, I must determine from her input whether or not it would be safe to host such an event here, as there is undoubtedly a risk in bringing together so many members of imperial brass and so many members of the nobility.”

 

“Of course, my Lord, and may I say I admire your forethought and caution; it would be nigh unthinkable if the rebels learned of an event like this on some less secure world and…”

 

“Perish the thought, Captain, you see to the heart of it; this is why I have elected to begin my search for a safe location here, in one of the Empire’s safest worlds,” Shane replied, and the Captain smiled, charmed by the handsome young Lord that stood before him. Even though he was probably six to eight years older than him Shane got the feeling the man would’ve done about anything Shane might have asked him to do, right at that particular instant, and so motioned once with his hand.

 

“Please, lead the way, Captain.”

 

“Right, my Lord, of course, apologies,” the man replied enthusiastically, quickly turning and leading them from the hangar, flanked by his Lord’s personal guards as they were, “My, your taste in personal protection is exemplary, my Lord; Mandalorians! Some of the galaxy’s finest, and look at that armour…”

 

“Are you a fan of the Mandalorian culture, Captain?” asked ‘Lord Thorius’ casually, and the Captain nodded eagerly in answer to that query as he led him down one corridor, around a corner, and down another.

 

“Any soldier would be, my Lord. Oh, what I wouldn’t give for just a few days of training under the tutelage of a real Mandalorian,” the Captain answered, then stopped and turned toward a door, “Ahem, apologies for that, my Lord; we have arrived at our first destination. The Imperatrix regretfully requested that I inform you that she is a little busy this morning, but will meet with your Lordship in the afternoon, and she hopes that you will understand and forgive such a delay.”

 

“Of course; I am sure being the chief military officer on the planet must be quite taxing,” Shane replied, to which the marine nodded adamantly.

 

“If it were but a single installation it wouldn’t be troublesome, why, I’m sure I could handle one installation, but there are twenty-seven on the planet, all with massive amounts of personnel and the issues that come with it,” he answered, then excused himself as the doors opened to reveal a courtyard where they could see many things. Shane strode toward the edge of the courtyard and looked out on the planet’s terrain; plains and forests, mountains in the distance, nothing as spectacular as Belazura, and nothing as comforting as his own homeworld of Bpfassh. As he looked around, N’Haru remained alert as well, before turning his attention toward his Master once more, stepping up behind him on his left-hand side.

 

“Master, there is an imperial citizen that I believe wishes to talk to you,” he said in a soft voice, and as he stood looking out over the terrain, Shane turned his head faintly and offered a hint of a nod. N’Haru nodded and quickly took a step back and a step to the left, then circled around as his Master turned, to maintain the trained and preferred position in relation to his Master’s position.

 

“Is there something you require?” the young Lord of the Colonies asked, his tone just faintly imperious as he looked at the imperial standing in front of him. He was a little older than Shane; about three or four years perhaps, but also a few centimetres shorter and a few kilograms lighter. The man was clothed in a clerical uniform that suggested that he had some kind of basic job and no indication of any armament or anything that would resemble combat training at all.

 

“My Lord, please permit me to introduce myself; I am Ferran Shoth, and her Ladyship the Imperatrix has requested I offer you a tour of the citadel. I have also been instructed, if it is your Lordship’s preference, to chauffeur you, your personal attendant…”

 

“Slave,” Shane corrected with a faint hint of displeasure.

 

“Ah, apologies, yes, my Lord. Allow me to correct, I have been instructed, if it is your Lordship’s preference, to serve as chauffeur for you, your slave, and your personal guard, if you should desire to travel to any of the planet’s sites of interest. In the instance that one of those desired destinations should be a restaurant or other place of business, to offer the use of her personal expense account, that your Lordship should not be impressed upon to spend your own money,” Ferran said, and Shane nodded cordially in answer to the statement.

 

“Very good, then,” Shane replied, “I assume you do, naturally, have a TR-14a and at least two Armoured Personnel Carriers, for my personal guard?”

 

“Of course, my Lord,” Ferran replied with a quick swallow but recovered quickly, “I shall order them to be prepared, and brought about immediately.” He bowed and excused himself in a rush, vacating the young Lord’s presence rapidly enough that Shane felt somewhat sorry for him. He clearly didn’t want to be escorting an unusually demanding young nobleman wherever he might potentially want to go. Ferran likely feared one of their stops would be a brothel, owing to the reputation of imperial noblemen, particularly ones in his age group; he seemed like the sort who’d be mortified at the very thought of pulling up in an armoured convoy in front of a whorehouse.

 

“My Lord, my pilots will see to the operation of the escort craft; naturally, I shall remain at your side to ensure your continued security,” Groff informed, and Shane nodded.

 

“Very good, Commander,” Shane replied with a cordial, lordly nod in answer. There was a faint gesticulation in reply as Groff turned and moved to a respectful distance once more, Shane assumed he would hear about it once they were safely back on Belazura. They wouldn’t really be entirely safe until then, or at least until they’d flipped Lady Thorpe, Shane was rather certain of that much.

 

It took the imperial aide about twenty minutes to get the task done, but soon enough the Armoured Personnel Carriers and the TR-14a Land Carrier were pulled into position ahead of them. Immediately, imperial drivers exited from two of those as a trio of Mandalorians approached each of the two vehicles, even as the other four remained close to young Lord Thorius as he and his slave entered the TR-14a, itself. Behind them, the imperial aide swallowed faintly and then focused on the task before him, however unsavoury it might turn out to be.

 

“Where would your Lordship wish to go? Uviuy Exen has many worthy destinations, my Lord,” Ferran said nervously.

 

“First, I think I would like to see the most popular brothel in the city, it has been a very long trip from Belazura; which would you recommend?”

 

“I, uh…” started the aide, before being interrupted by the young Lord’s somewhat imperious laughter.

 

“In seriousness, though,” he said, sensing embarrassment and frustration behind him from the chauffeur-tasked aide, “I believe I would like to a tour of the city; take us through all the important sites that are worth seeing in the city.” It caused a surge of relief behind him as he said that, and the convoy of three vehicles quickly moved out of the fortress and proceeded with the tour of the city. The tour took a few hours, passing the red light district uneventfully much to their chauffeur’s relief, though there was a stop at a restaurant. There, Shane ordered some especially good Exodeenian Spiced Pasta and a serving of the gourmet Trammistan Chocolate that left his chauffeur looking more than envious. It was the most expensive dessert on the menu and it was considered the galaxy’s richest, lushest chocolate indulgence, even if many worlds produced chocolate, something about Trammistan Chocolates made them simply better, overall. He even allowed for a considerable tip for their server, in furtherance of the image that Lord Thorius had come to the planet with charitable purposes in mind.

 

On their return, Captain Marcus Bann was waiting for them, standing respectfully at attention until a nod from Shane indicated he could relax.

 

“Her Ladyship the Imperatrix will see you now, my Lord,” he said, and then quickly turned and led the way up a flight of stairs and down some hallways until they reached a pair of double doors in a wide, well-guarded hall.

 

“Remain here, I am sure that the Imperatrix’s office is free of rebel saboteurs,” Shane instructed his Mandalorian team, who nodded and took up positions that would allow them to damned near execute the imperial guards if it became an absolute necessity for any reason. Meanwhile, Captain Bann led Lord Thorius and his slave into the Imperatrix’s office to make the introductions as appropriate.

 

“Your Lordship, I present to you Imperatrix Lorna Thorpe. Imperatrix, it is my very great privilege to introduce his Lordship Laine Thorius of Belazura.” She was a woman of clear familial resemblance to the Inquisitor, with thick hair of black colouration that fell in an elbow-length ponytail and eyes of grey-blue. She had a hardened musculature and Shane estimated her to be in her mid-thirties, though where her brother was imposing stature and not much to look at, she was beautiful and comparatively slight. Even meagre, compared to her brother, she was one hundred eighty-three centimetres tall and eighty-eight kilograms of thickly corded athletic sinew.

 

“Thank you, Captain Bann,” said the Imperatrix, before turning her attention toward the young Lord half her own age, “A pleasure to meet you in person; I must say, I was surprised to receive your request, given the content. Young men such as yourself are rarely noted for your goodwill, but to host a charity ball?” She walked as she spoke, turning her back to him and looking out a window, then looking over her shoulder and examining him at the point of her question. It was a calculating review of his person, Shane could tell, but he stood calmly as he regarded her in return, although his eyes did not travel her body as hers travelled his.

 

“It shows a remarkable nobility which, at least in my own experience, most noblemen lack,” she continued, before her eyes turned back out the window, “Ironic, isn’t it, that noblemen should be so ignoble while retaining noble titling?”

 

“Indeed it is, Imperatrix, but that is why I have come. Imagine, if you will, the impact that could be made if even ten of the Empire’s noble families were to commit themselves to assisting the Interstellar Children’s Aid Fund in the work they do, imagine the good image it would give to our honoured Empire,” Shane pressed from where he stood. Lorna’s head tilted as she listened, a slow nod building as she considered the tactical advantages of the proposition he made.

 

“Yes, and with more of the people seeing the nobility that we are capable of, as well as to see the support of such by many of our most important military officials, it would inflict great harm to the rebel… popularity,” she observed as she considered it. Of course, Shane realized what such a gala would mean for the rebellion, too, but now was not the time to discuss that, not yet.

 

“Very well, I believe I see the value of what you propose, my Lord,” she continued, looking over her shoulder at him once more, “Do you have a venue in mind for such an event?”

 

“I do, though I must confess that in not being familiar with your world, my proposition may seem at best rudimentary and academic, though that is why I have come. I had hoped that with your familiarity with the planet, together, we can make this happen, and ensure that it should be an impressive victory for our Empire, at that,” Shane continued.

 

“Please, by all means, let me look at your proposition, my Lord; I am sure it isn’t nearly as rudimentary as you suggest, given how smart you are, and your loyalty impresses me greatly,” she said, and Shane nodded, pulling the tablet from inside his coat and extending it to her. The Imperatrix turned her back to the window for better light, holding the tablet up before her face and tapping the screen to bring up the young Lord’s proposition so she could read it. Her features contracted, however, almost immediately, and her eyebrows furrowed just briefly before her face returned to a placid calm under which Shane sensed the building of a great and terrible rage. It was, however, not directed at him, and she was making a tremendous effort to contain it as she looked up and over at Captain Bann.

 

“Captain, his Lordship’s proposition is quite good, but will require some minor… amendment. Please go down to the archives and review the architectural files for places where an event with over one thousand attendees could be held practicably,” she said calmly, her voice even and measured. Captain Bann was completely oblivious to her burgeoning rage as he nodded his head, turned, and excused himself immediately, closing the door behind him. Lorna laid down the tablet gently on her desktop, walking to the door and tapping a pair of buttons that bolted it shut for utmost security, before she turned to look at the two of them before moving again. She moved to another console, tapping some added buttons and then deactivated all security measures in her office, at which point she turned toward them once more.

 

“… did you read that file, yourself?”

 

“I received the summarized account from the one who brought it to us. I felt it would be boorish and indecent of me to read such a thing myself, Imperatrix,” Shane answered. He felt a hint of relief there, from her, as she took a breath, then walked to the window and looked out of it for a moment.

 

“I … appreciate that, my Lord,” she said, looking over her shoulder at him, “You’re not really a Lord, are you?” When he started to answer, she brought one arm up and waved her hand to suggest the question had been of a more rhetorical variety, not one she needed answered.

 

“Doesn’t matter, I remember every detail of that night and it’s in that account, and I recognized several of that bastard’s idiosyncrasies in it, as well. Where did you get it?”

 

“Our source defected when she learned what had happened to you,” Shane replied simply, and she nodded.

 

“You no doubt realized that I would do the same when I learned that my brother did what he did on imperial command. Worse yet, the bastard fled from imperial soldiers who came to ‘rescue’ me, though I now realize it was all a scheme, to exalt the Empire as my valiant saviours and demonize the rebellion as my defiler,” she said with an unhappy sigh, “I’ve been on the wrong side all this time, haven’t I, my Lord?”

 

“You have, Imperatrix,” Shane answered.

 

“Then it is time that I amend my error in judgment,” she said calmly, before her voice became cold with an icy rage, “There will, however, be some… housecleaning, that must be done, with which you can assist me. The men that were sent to ‘drive off my rebel assailant,’ happen to be under my command now, assigned by my superiors in the military.”

 

“Quite fortuitous, for you, Imperatrix,” Shane replied, and the grim smile that curved her lips suggested she meant to make sure that was precisely the case as she took the tablet and looked into the second file, touching a small arrow, to continue her reading.

 

“You have done me a great service, my Lord,” she said, looking over at him, “I suppose your Lordship’s proposition was merely a smokescreen?”

 

“Not at all,” Shane said, motioning the tablet, “if you close those data reports and open the actual proposition, you’ll notice we actually do have a plan for such a gala.”

 

“Minutes ago we were speaking about how much such an event would benefit the Empire, though,” she said, though an eyebrow rose as she saw his smirk and nod in answer.

 

“Yes, but it will help the rebellion more. Holding a charity ball to make the Empire look altruistic and respectable all sounds good on a document, but the people of the galaxy know the brutality that has been inflicted upon them by the Empire. However, while the gala occupies a few dozen generals and admirals from around the galaxy, alongside of a few hundred of the galaxy’s most loyal imperial nobles…”

 

“… the imperial military will be vulnerable to a well-timed strike,” Lorna finished, and Shane nodded calmly in reply, “Excellent tactical observation, my Lord.”

 

“Well, it wasn’t mine, but I will pass your commendation along,” Shane replied, as Lorna reviewed the actual proposal for the gala, and found that it was extremely malleable while also a solid concept, though it lacked a venue, which she had just ordered her Captain to find.

 

“An excellent proposition, here, too. Locals will be quite pleased with it, I think, since it shall obviously represent an economic boon to many industries operating in the city,” she said thoughtfully, as her mind turned to processing, “You know, if we hold it in about two months, we would be able to use the Great Botanical Gardens. The gardens are quite lovely, many open spaces where caterers could set up, a good central location for the monitoring of the donations from all around the galaxy and broadcasting those present to support the event more visibly.”

 

“Excellent idea, Imperatrix,” Shane replied, and she nodded as he felt the cold rage in her returning.

 

“One last thing, though, my Lord,” she said as she stepped close and looked into his eyes, “I want your assurance that you will kill the bastard for me.”

 

“My slave has done well at… infuriating… your brother, Imperatrix,” Shane assured him, and she looked sidelong at the Bpfassh male, who offered a courteous smile in answer.

 

“… I could see how that could occur. He never did deal with his anger very well,” Lorna replied coolly, before moving to reactivate security devices, unlock the door, and return to her prior position before Captain Bann returned to them, promptly hacking her own server to blend the security logs.

 

“There, and now it’s like our conversation never happened,” she said, as she resumed looking at the tablet as she had when Bann left.

 

“My Lady, I’ve found a selection of possible venues that could…”

 

“Thank you, Captain, though his Lordship actually had an excellent thought while you were away. I want you to work on organizing the gala for Lord Thorius here on Uviuy Exen, the gala will be held in the Great Botanical Gardens.”

 

“Of course, there is one downside to this, Captain,” Shane advised.

 

“My Lord?” came the confused query.

 

“You will be expected to attend, yourself, Captain; I shall expect to see you in your dress uniform,” Shane said, and Captain Bann brimmed and bowed enthusiastically.

 

“Yes, my Lord, thank you!” At that, he excused himself and quickly vacated the room.

 

“Nice touch,” Lorna observed dryly, “I wish you were planning to remain for more than a few hours after the trip you have had, but I understand the Thorius Family has a lot of business in a lot of places about the galaxy, and I would not wish to keep you, my Lord.” As she spoke she escorted them back out into the hallway, and Shane nodded once firmly in answer.

 

“Indeed we do, and as much as I have enjoyed your hospitality, the beauty of your city and citadel, now that we have settled on our arrangement for the gala, I would love to stay, but as the sole son of the Thorius family…”

 

“All responsibilities of family business fall upon your shoulders, my Lord,” Imperatrix Thorpe finished with a nod, “I extend you my sincerest condolences, my Lord. I suppose it is no wonder that you have been forced to grow up so fast to represent your family.” Shane nodded, shaking hands with her as she extended her hand to him in a kindly gesture.

 

“Please have a safe flight back to Belazura, my Lord,” she said, and he nodded gently.

 

“Thank you, Imperatrix. I look forward to returning for the gala; the Gardens should be quite lovely.” Then, with his Mandalorian squad producing an armoured aura around him, he returned to the Crescent and departed from the planet. As they ascended through the atmosphere and into space, his pilot commented informatively.

 

“Our escort carriers are moving into positioning and syncing navigational computers now; imperial navigators report they are prepared to depart at our lead,” the pilot observed, and Shane nodded.

 

“Too bad we couldn’t have taken those Armoured Personnel Carriers with us; they’ve been keeping theirs in excellent condition. They’re beautiful but it doesn’t feel like a real war machine until it’s got some dings from enemy gunfire.”

 

Finally, Shane returned to the passenger seating section to relax and enjoy the trip back across the galaxy to Belazura, and following a few days of boring transit, they were soon landing once more in the hangar bay of the Thorius family estate. As the hangar bay doors closed and their escort carriers left to return to military business, the Mandalorians the matriarch had hired disembarked with a loud sigh of relief as they saw the closed doors.

 

“You know, it’s almost hard to believe you spent years as an urchin on the street, kid,” Groff said as he looked toward Shane as he and his boy walked off the transport, “You handled yourself like a real nobleman.”

 

“I’m not sure I should take that as a compliment, but thank you. My boy and I picked up a lot growing up as urchins under the thumb of imperial ‘nobles’ on our homeworld,” Shane replied, and Groff nodded his understanding of that.

 

“Well, I have to say that was the most relaxing bit of espionage we’ve ever been a part of. If you’re half as good in a fight as you are in funny clothes, I look forward to seeing you again,” he said, before heading into another part of the mansion while Kayla Thorius approached accompanied by Kazenna and K’Shar.

 

“Good, you boys made it back safe, I hope the mission went well,” she said as she neared, and they nodded in answer.

 

“Smooth and precisely as expected; we’re going to hold the gala in two months and I suspect she’ll be very cooperative to providing us information we need to make the most of it,” Shane replied, “Also, please contact Lady Lora Caine of Denab. Inform her that Lord Thorius wishes her to accompany him to a gala on Uviuy Exen in two months and she is expected to appear here on Belazura in a month and a half, to that end. For now, my boy and I need some alone time, if you will excuse us…” He didn’t really wait for them to do anything other than excuse them, leading his boy to their chambers in the mansion and barring the door as soon as they were inside.

 

“All right, as comfortable as these clothes of, I can’t wait to get them off. Get over here and help me get this stuff off,” Shane commanded, and N’Haru knelt submissively, unlacing his Master’s boots gently. He lifted one leg and then the other as his boy helped him to undress, though he kept his stockings on as he pulled his boy’s hands to his hips where N’Haru quickly unbuttoned and unzipped them. Shane slid his pants and boxer-briefs down until they fell around his ankles, stepping out of them and slithering fingers into his boy’s hair, pulling his head gently backward.

 

“Eyes up, pet,” he said, directing him to the shirt that hung down until the bottom of it touched the base of his phallic rod, delaying a little longer despite being painfully aroused. He had been for days, both of them had, but he wanted to get the shirt off before they went any further, so his boy’s hands lifted to begin gently unbuttoning the dress shirt until his Master could slip it off comfortably.

 

“Good boy,” Shane praised, as he watched his boy quickly stripping down, as well, but stopped him as he reached for his toes, “Keep those on baby.” At his instruction, N’Haru knelt in only calf-height socks and looked up at his Master, who smiled and slithered fingers into his hair again, pulling his head toward his cock and soon slipping the length of it into his boy’s mouth and throat.

 

“That’s a good boy, suck Me, you little slut,” Shane commanded, sighing in pleasure as his boy’s tongue swirled about the shaft of his light-skinned phallic muscle, “First round won’t last long, baby, it’s been many days, but we do have a bit of catching-up to do, don’t we?”

 

“Mm,” N’Haru moaned in the affirmative on his Master’s Rod, sucking firmly as his Master’s Hips arched against his mouth in quick, hard movements that pressed down his throat. As his Master had warned, despite his best efforts, the younger male was unable to restrain himself for long, and he soon curled both hands in his boy’s hair tightly and held him firm against his hips.

 

“Ohh, you’re such a good boy, N’Haru,” Shane sighed in pleasure as he arched his hips and allowed himself to release his seed directly into his pet’s belly. He felt the muscle contractions as his pet swallowed, his throat coaxing his Master to it, welcoming every drop of it until Shane pulled out and those muscles drained him utterly. He counted himself as a fortunate man; most never knew a boy like N’Haru, and fewer still had the privilege of becoming the Owner to any creature so beautiful. Once he had withdrawn himself from his boy’s mouth, he slipped his fingers down past his boy’s throat to his underarms, pulling him up to lay him across their bed’s dark blue microfiber coverlet. N’Haru shivered in pleasure as he felt the fabric against his thighs and his rump, then against his back as his body was almost cradled within the softness of the bed they had been provided.

 

“Mm, Master,” N’Haru murmured as his Master hauled himself up onto the bed with one hand on each of his boy’s thighs, before Shane put a finger to his lips as he looked at his boy.

 

“Shh,” Shane said softly, “Lord Thorius has a reward for his loyal vassal.” Both of them were amused, sharing a brief chuckle before N’Haru inhaled softly but sharply with a hint of a whimper as he felt his Master’s Tongue touching his base and sliding up slowly and gently. Fingers wrinkled the coverlet as they curled and gripped the bedding, arching subserviently into his Master’s Lips, enticed and painfully aroused but doing his best to not release too soon and make a mess or deny his Master the pleasure He wanted. Shane’s lips slid down his boy’s length slow and steady, just as he knew his boy liked it, and he felt his boy had certainly earned a reward for his good behaviour and incredible loyalty. He felt the pleasure building inside as he struggled to contain himself, until he felt his Master’s Hands sliding under his rump, cupping for a moment before giving a firm squeeze. He released a soft sigh of pleasure as honeysweet nectar pulsed out of his length into his Master’s Mouth where it was consumed greedily, until his Master took it to the hilt if only for a moment, to draw out every drop.

 

“Mm, frack that’s delicious,” Shane praised as he slipped his mouth up until his lips brushed past the head and off his boy’s length, which remained hard. He wasn’t surprised, it’d been nearly two weeks since they’d been able to have an opportunity to mate, but he was going to make sure his boy was fully satisfied in the very near future, like before they got up off this bed. As he lifted his lips off his boy’s length he leaned forward, swallowing the release that he savoured as he leaned over his body until their cocks brushed across one another, both of them still in dire need of attention and pleasure. His lips touched his boy’s as he quested for a sexual aid, opening a drawer in the nightstand beside this bed, and discovering a vial of something whose label suggested it to be appropriate. On closer inspection he found it was, though the fragrance of it might have been a little on the strange side under the circumstances.

 

“Huh, asyr extract personal lubricant,” Shane observed with a faint tilt of his head as he looked at his boy and smiled, “You think they realize that’s a flower found commonly on our planet?” As he asked, looking down at his boy, Shane poured a few drops of the powerfully fragrant flower oil onto his fingers, then slipping his hand down behind himself until he could press his fingers up into himself, lubricating himself a bit.

 

“I would be surprised if they… Master?” came the somewhat confused query, before Shane slid down onto his boy’s length, and his boy whimpered in pleasure, arching submissively up into his Master’s Rump before his muscles relaxed and he sank down feeling his Master around him.

 

“You’ve been a really good boy, baby, and I love you,” Shane said as he arched in pleasure feeling his boy’s length buried to the hilt inside of him. He arched his back as his knees pressed against the bedding to either side of his boy’s hips, lifting himself up and starting to ride his boy’s length slow and steady, tightening his muscles around the older male’s shaft then releasing in gentle sequences. The soft, melodic murmurings and whimpers of his boy were reward enough, certainly, though his boy was admirable in his restraint, holding himself back as long as he could to ensure it was as good for his Owner as it was for him. Shane made him wait a couple minutes before he placed his hands onto N’Haru’s chest and drew his fingers down it, curling them to leave bright red lines with his nails from his shoulders down to his waistline, passing his nipples on either side. As he did, he felt his boy moaning softly in pleasure, before his hips arched and his thick release pulsed up deep inside his Owner’s Rump, much to Shane’s personal satisfaction.

 

“Good boy,” Shane praised warmly as his pet murmured in pleasure softly, sliding up off him when his boy was done, before shifting his position and nudging his pet to roll over. N’Haru whimpered in arousal and satisfaction as he rolled onto his belly, knees bending and hips arching as he lifted them from the bed in front of his Master, who now knelt in a position behind him. He released a soft sigh and a blush as he felt his Master’s Fingers slide into him, lubrication of fragrant flower-oil spreading with a soothingly cool sensation to accompany it as his Master readied him, and pushed in smoothly.

 

“Ohh, Mast-” the boy started to whimper in pleasure before a loud crack solicited a gasping arch of pleasure and pain, “Ahh! Master…” The last word was a murmur of pleasure as his Master struck his ass firmly, before beginning to ride his boy’s ass in turn, fucking him hard and fast, though pausing briefly every few strokes to deliver a sharp slap for N’Haru’s arousal and satisfaction. He could tell his boy was loving it, as he rode him hard and deep for almost a full five minutes before his fingers grabbed the older male’s shoulders and yanked him back, burying himself to the hilt. As he came, nails slid down his pet’s back leaving bright red lines that were accompanied by a tremulous whimper of arousal as he hung his head until his forehead touched the blanket.

 

“Ohh, Master, mmm!” whimpered the slightly older male, shivering in arousal as he felt his Master’s Seed pulse into him, welcoming it and delighting in the sensation before his Master withdrew. A moment later, N’Haru shivered and giggled as he felt his Master’s Fingers on the soles of his feet for a brief instant before he felt the cloth pulling off his calves and feet as he was stripped more fully by his Owner.

 

“Come on, pet, time for a fancy shower,” Shane teased, as his boy joined him and they bathed one another thoroughly, redressing in their normal clothes before returning to the others. Respectfully silent on the matter of the boys’ mating, the topic soon turned to where the Nighthawk could next make the best impact on the war on behalf of the Alliance.


	10. Precision Strikes

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Nighthawk makes a precision strike against an imperial elite commando training facility, and has another run-in with the dogged Inquisitor Thorpe.

“Our intel has revealed that there is an imperial commando training facility on the fringe planet of Rothana, and it is being protected by a weak imperial naval presence. The facility is one of the Empire’s best-kept military secrets, and we’ve had people watching it for six months to confirm our information. There is a team on the ground, already, hiding out in the terrain near their training facility; the terrain’s dense jungle, with impassable growths ten metres tall in some parts. The facility has several places where one can make an entrance or an exit, so we’re going to hit it from several directions at the same time, while some of the trainees are already out in the field on an exercise. This’ll require more than just the three of us, like that facility on Sochi, but this time, no capturing or difficult mission elements like that,” Kazenna said as the Nighthawk left Belazura, cloaked, and went immediately to hyperspace headed for the planet of Rothana.

 

“How many moving parts are you going to need for this?” asked K’Shar, at which point Kazenna brought up a scan of the facility that had been provided by the boots already on the ground.

 

“Our tactical awareness of the interior is limited, but there are two positions where two people could hold off the entire squad out on training exercises if they hear the commotion or are warned of the attack and try to rush back. I’ll want you two, there, Shane,” Kazenna replied and pushed forward in explaining the attack plan, “S’Kara, S’Kolu, you two will enter here; it’s the entrance directly behind where Shane and N’Haru will drop into position to block the returners. I will drop here, the bell-tower, to silence it; our intelligence indicates a hangar bay that’s usually empty, but we have information that suggests Inquisitor Thorpe visits the facility regularly for some reason. A Sith apprentice is possible, which is why I’ll go down through the stairwell and hunt for them in the facility core; meanwhile, Sor’A and K’Cela, you’ll enter here. It’s the doors of the hangar bay, clear it out and everyone nearby, then I want you to hide and wait further instructions.”

 

“Why the hangar bay?” asked K’Cela.

 

“Our plan will be to strand the Inquisitor here if he arrives, so once you clear the hangar and surrounding hallways, I want you to extract back out the doors and into the jungle. Select a place to conceal yourselves where he won’t be able to see you but you’ll be able to see into the hangar bay clearly enough. N’Haru, when you see the Inquisitor’s shuttle, do what you do best,” Kazenna said, the clear implication being ‘do something to piss him off,’ as she continued, “The same goes for you two. Once we’re sure that the facility’s emptied, get out and circle around to rendezvous with Sor’A and K’Cela, and I’ll hide in bell-tower, we want the Inquisitor having a clear path to N’Haru. I will signal you once I confirm they’re engaging, then you four will come and secure the Inquisitor’s shuttle and plant explosives to destroy it when the moment arrives. K’Shar, when they blow up the shuttle, pick us all up and then land in the training field, it’ll be empty by then, and wait for them. Shane, N’Haru, once you hear the explosion, start to fall back toward that training field; when we see them withdraw into the field, open fire on the Inquisitor with the slug-thrower rifles we’ve picked up. He can block but he can’t deflect them back at us, so they’ll be an effective way to disrupt the fight and let Shane and N’Haru withdraw; T’Lor, as soon as the ramp’s shut, get us out of there and do it fast.”

 

Once everyone was clear on the plan, the routine of training during days in transit resumed, keeping herself sharp by training at full-strength now. Their skills had amplified since the encounters with Thorpe and experiencing real combat rather than the training sabers, though N’Haru had yet to switch his own lightsaber blade off ‘stun,’ or even activate it in combat. Kazenna had gotten to the point of not caring if he ever activated it, though, because he was proving that he honestly didn’t have much need to do so, fighting without activating the blade wasn’t doing anything to impede his performance in battle.

 

When the Nighthawk entered the system, they found a Star Galleon-class frigate in orbit. A self-escorting freighter of a noticeable superiority in size and armament comparative to the Nighthawk, Star Galleons nevertheless bore weaker hulls than their ship, and those weaker hulls were protected by weaker shields.

 

“Approaching Imperial Star Galleon _Coruscanti Canary_ now,” T’Lor reported over the shipboard intercom.

 

“Good evening passengers, this is your pilot speaking. If you look out your portside window, you will see an example of cosmic irony as a Nighthawk takes down an overstuffed canary,” M’Kan added, tossing in a witticism as they armed the forward guns and swooped their approach into an attack trajectory. Even as they approached, undetected because of their shields, the Star Galleon was a sitting duck, shields inactive in addition to the comparatively weak hull plating. As they neared and fired from what was functionally point blank range, their shots slammed into the frigate’s central reactor as T’Lor and M’Kan jerked the controls to veer left and twist the ship to skirt past the frigate. Even as they did so, the sound of the reactor exploding nearby was audible just before engines gunned and they dove toward the planet, hearing the explosion behind them.

 

“Imperial warship destroyed, cloak stability intact; entering planetary atmosphere in five, four, three, two, and…” said T’Lor as they descended, soon feeling the switch from artificial to natural gravitational forces, until the ramp opened as the ship positioned itself over the bell-tower. As the ramp opened, Kazenna activated her lightsabers and then took a running leap, surging out into the air and gliding gracefully down to land on top of the bell-tower as the Nighthawk continued to move.

 

Kazenna slipped down into the belfry behind the trooper stationed there, lethally impaling his throat with her light-sai before he had a chance to sound the alarm or make a sound. Seconds later, the zabrak crept down the stairs once she saw the others dropping out of the cloaked ship into their own positions in accordance with their attack plan. It likely wouldn’t go entirely according to plan, but if it went even mostly according to plan and they didn’t lose anyone, she’d consider it a success, even if they didn’t kill everyone.

 

Meanwhile, Shane and N’Haru dropped out of the ship at the base of the path connecting the facility to their training grounds. As guards at the entrance stared in disbelief as two young men appeared out of nowhere, the twins dropped in and immediately opened fire, shooting them dead with slug-throwers before charging across the open space. Quickly bursting into the facility proper with their slug-thrower combat rifles, they pressed hard against the soldiers inside as they heard gunfire from the opposite side and knew K’Cela and Sor’A were making their push, as well. Shane nodded, then turned his back to the facility as his pet matched the pattern, Shane’s blades activating as N’Haru took a defensive stance. As they heard boots thundering down the path, Shane leapt into the branches above them and moved forward discreetly until the soldiers raced under him and then skidded to a halt at the sight of N’Haru standing there.

 

“Going somewhere, boys?” came the question for the platoon of men armed with pistols and vibroswords, the latter of which held onehanded.

 

“Cap, they didn’t tell us there was going to be a live weapons exercise, today,” one of the uniformed but unarmoured troopers said, and his captain looked over his shoulder at him incredulously.

 

“That’s because there’s not, you idiot, we’re under attack,” the captain replied, then looked toward N’Haru, feeling an excess of confidence in the process, “I will give you one chance to surrender before we kill you, alien.” N’Haru’s response was to casually back up until all twenty of the soldiers were out in the open, placing his Master completely behind them, as he heard a shuttle entering the atmosphere.

 

_A little earlier than we expected_ , N’Haru thought to himself, then turned his attention toward the soldiers standing in front of him looking at him as if they actually thought he was considering surrendering, “This is my answer to that.” He half-turned and looked up, extending a hand and projecting a concentrated thrust of Force Push, slamming a strike at range into one of the engines of the shuttle, causing it to flicker out as the occupant then struggled to make a landing in the hangar bay. The shuttle whirled and hovered dramatically as the pilot fought to get it back under control, even as gunfire in the hangar bay continued for several seconds and then abruptly halted.

 

_Good, they’re done in the hangar; now get into cover_ , N’Haru thought to himself as his Master dropped free from the branches behind the platoon of enemies with vibroswords.

 

“You little bast-” the platoon leader started, before their eyes all looked up as an explosion oscillated the air and then a massive shadow whooshed overhead. He didn’t think he’d hit it that hard, but apparently he’d actually done serious damage to the engines as he watched it sweep overhead, veering off to a side before slamming into the ground with a fireball rising into the air. N’Haru could sense the Inquisitor’s presence, though, and knew he wasn’t dead, but rather, had evacuated the shuttle in time to drop down on the roof himself.

 

“You’re flanked you idiots!” the Inquisitor’s voice bellowed down to them and a dozen men turned around to notice Shane behind them, lightsaber in-hand as the Inquisitor stood and watched cockily from his elevated position as Master and slave proceeded to engage their enemies.

 

N’Haru lurched forward with a sudden strike before the platoon leader could react, slamming the tip of his staff into the man’s throat with enough force to deliver a fatal injury that dropped him instantly. Then, the young Bpfassh spun out of the path of one vibrosword before blocking a second and delivering a sharp and bone-snapping kick to the knee of the wielder. As the man dropped with a shout, N’Haru’s knee rose and slammed into his nose, fatally thrusting the nasal bone into his brain as N’Haru twisted and deflected another slice with his staff. He leapt backward, bringing his staff backward and slamming the butt into the ground, allowing him to rotate his position over it, kicking two of his attackers each in the jaw as he manoeuvred evasively from another pair of vibroswords. As two were laid out flat on their backs, N’Haru’s feet hit the ground and he lurched unexpectedly forward, causing his attackers to jerk backwards reflexively as he countered. A thrust delivered fatal bone-crunching trauma to one man’s forehead as the fracturing of the skull drove bone into brain matter before a jerk of his staff slammed it into the side of another man’s throat with a deep crack as his neck snapped.

 

Then, a series of loud, metallic clang as N’Haru then deflected one strike after another as four men pushed in on him in a successful move to force him to focus on defense. Even against their four blades, N’Haru continued to hold strong as on the far side, he saw men falling before his Master’s sword-and-dagger lightsabers. It only took his Master a few seconds to react to his pet’s situation, killing two before reaching with the Force and yanking two men away from his boy. The opening allowed N’Haru to leap forward between the other two, whirling around hard and slamming part of the length of his staff into the back of one’s throat and snapped his neck, as well. From the new position of his staff, he thrust into the other man’s head, nearly puncturing his temple with the force of the thrust and killing him outright, nevertheless. He could sense the Inquisitor’s rage bubbling above them as he watched, but he caught a hint of another reaction: a faint trace of grudging respect and an infinitesimal hint of concern. As the last few men pushed against his Master, hemming Shane in, N’Haru made a low forward leap that brought him in with his staff behind him and lifted into the necessary position. His leap reinforced by a sharp application of Force Push on himself, to hurl himself, that phrik-alloy staff slammed into the back of two men’s necks simultaneously as he passed between them, snapping both men’s necks instantly. Their corpses slammed face-first into the dirt as N’Haru landed in a braced crouch as the hum of his Owner’s Blade whooshed just above his head, killing two more as he clove them in two.

 

As Shane turned toward one of the remaining two men, N’Haru rose up on the other and brought his staff up in a sharp whoosh that ended in a painful crack as it hit him in the jaw. Even as his jaw snapped, N’Haru thrust hard against his throat, fatally breaking his neck as he lifted the man’s body off the ground, then dropped it as his Master’s shoto-blade punctured the last man’s throat. As his Master kicked back the last corpse and laid it out flat on the ground, there was a roar of fury as the Inquisitor ran down the roof, activating his lightsaber and making a powerful, leaping cleave that swept down toward N’Haru. The young Bpfassh whirled around and brought his staff up, blocking with a skid across the ground as his Master withdrew toward the path with a reverse somersault.

 

“Oh, hello,” N’Haru greeted cheekily, “I was wondering if you were going to show up again. I heard you had students at that imperial base we hit.”

 

“You what?” growled the Inquisitor angrily.

 

“I figured, you know, if your apprentices are there, then that should mean that you’d be there, too, right?” continued N’Haru as he bought his allies time to get back to the ship, “I was very disappointed when I didn’t see you there, you know.” He feigned an expression of disappointment, forced himself to radiate the matching emotion accordingly, even as the Inquisitor snarled and attacked again, a loud hum as his blade hit the phrik alloy staff again.

 

“What do you want, an apology, brat?”

 

“It might be nice,” N’Haru answered cheekily, blocking another strike from the massive lightsaber, and then another, “Of course, I would also accept a pot of asyr flowers, or maybe a tin of chocolates from around the galaxy.” Even as he spoke, he deflected still more strikes, holding his ground past the initial push caused by his enemy’s leaping attack. 

 

* * *

 

 

As Kazenna descended into the base, she slipped in close and near-silently dispatched another two soldiers as they got near the room she was in with the spiral stair up to the bell-tower. She then stole stealthily down the hall until she was at another room with only a couple, where she knocked on the door while pressing her back against the wall beside it. When the door opened, she rotated in and sheared the one who answered it with her long-handled lightsaber, before lunging at the second soldier, severing his arm even as he drew his gun before beheading him with her lightsai. Then, Kazenna continued to steal from room to room, sometimes using her lightsaber to puncture the wall and distract them before circling around to come in through the door and strike them down from behind, until she felt an oscillation of Force and turned. She rushed down the hall, past the twins and their firefight as she tracked the hint of the Force she’d felt, coming out in the hangar where there were a couple dozen dead bodies, and two Bpfassh firing at someone with a lightsaber.

 

Even as the wielder went to leap at them, Kazenna reached out with the Force and yanked, using the Force to pull and fling backward the other. K’Cela and Sor’A nodded their appreciation and bolted from the hangar bay. Kazenna’s new target rose to her feet, lifted her lightsaber and prepared to charge, before they both felt a sharp spike of the Force and looked up for an instant. Dismissing it for the moment, Kazenna raced toward her opponent, meeting her halfway, one lightsaber deflecting the other as the Sith apprentice jerked backward from the strikes of the lightsai. Lurching forward at one another again, their lightsabers hummed on contact before the Sith apprentice used the Force to knock the sai out of Kazenna’s hand, sending it sliding across the floor. Her free hand quickly seized on her long-handled lightsaber and wielded it two-handed, launching into an aggressive series of strikes that forced her opponent to back steadily and inexorably away from her. As her enemy neared the wall, she surged back in a sudden move of counterattacking with blade and Force as Kazenna leapt out of the path of one Force push after another.

 

As the oscillation of an explosion overhead rumbled the building, the Sith apprentice made the fatal error of glancing up with distraction, and Kazenna seized it. Lurching forward, her blade slammed through her opponent’s weapon arm, removing it from concern before she reversed the course of her own lightsaber, slicing through the Sith from shoulder to hip and right to left. As she fell dead, Kazenna seized her lightsai and holstered both of her weapons before a hand lifted to her ear-com.

 

“What the hell was that explosion?”

 

“One of them struck one of the engine’s shuttles. The shuttle faltered overhead for a few minutes before the Inquisitor abandoned it and it went crashing into the ground and exploded,” replied K’Cela.

 

“N’Haru and the Inquisitor are fighting now, we better hurry up and get out of here,” S’Kara added.

 

“Right; K’Shar, pick them up on the south side of the facility, there’s an opening there, then get to the training field, as planned, to let the rest of us aboard. I’ll go make sure the boys get back to the ship,” she said. Then, she rushed off down the halls, racing past corpses of those killed by lightsaber strikes and those killed by gunfire, heading to let her apprentices know it was time to leave. She sensed their confrontation as she neared; bursting through the door, neither the Inquisitor nor N’Haru seemed to notice her presence as they continued to banter, her apprentice more successfully.

 

“By the way, did you get the message I left for you back at that base?” her apprentice was asking as she circled around to avoid distracting him by getting too close right now, “I told them to tell you that you should’ve trained your bitches way bet-whoa!” Even as he taunted his enemy, the Inquisitor struck out at him with an attempt to kick him, although this time N’Haru was ready, extracting himself with a Force-assisted backward leap and avoiding the Inquisitor’s kick completely.

 

“Oh, so you do occasionally shut up,” the Inquisitor offered derisively.

 

“By the way, I have to ask,” N’Haru countered casually, noticing his mentor nearby as she nodded toward the training field, joining her other apprentice behind him on the path, “do you have a son or a daughter or anything?”

 

“… excuse me?” came the irked reaction as he leapt forward and struck again, though N’Haru again blocked it with his staff as the man pressed in on him so close their faces were less than a half-metre separated.

 

“Oh, I mean, I was just wondering if when I kill you, there’s anyone I should go tell you’re dead,” N’Haru replied; he was going somewhere with that, but he could sense even the Inquisitor wasn’t really sure he wanted to know this time.

 

“I don’t have children, not that it will matter to you; I’m going to kill you, you mouthy little bastard,” he snarled once more with agitation as N’Haru simply backed up casually, remaining imperturbably on the defensive.

 

“Oh, that’s a pity. I suppose it’s a good thing, though,” he mused, withdrawing steadily toward the training field while distracting the Inquisitor by pissing him off gloriously.

 

“…and why is that?” asked the Inquisitor as he finally paused to catch his breath, watching N’Haru put around seven metres between them to catch his own. N’Haru was covered in a thick coat of perspiration, but so was the Inquisitor, in part because the Bpfassh was making him hot under the collar and downright enraging him.

 

“Well, I mean, imagine how bad it would look if I killed you and you had a son my age, and I went to notify him and he was so thankful that he fell to his knees right there and sucked my cock for killing you?” was N’Haru’s response. The Inquisitor’s eyes widened, a fresh surge of unbridled fury and hatred surged, and he lunged forward, near-blindly lashing out as he launched a flurry of strikes at his enemy, his rage and loathing only building every time his lightsaber hummed to indicate he’d failed to kill the young man.

 

“You seem tense,” N’Haru observed breathlessly, exhausted but serene thanks to focusing himself on the kasha crystal within his lightsaber, “you know, there are some spectacular freshwater springs on Sochi.” Even as he added insult to injury, the sound of gunfire filled the air and the Inquisitor was forced to redirect the massive breadth of his hate and fury toward enhancing his ability to protect himself from becoming a slug-thrower pincushion. He roared and howled with fury as he watched his enemy vanish behind the cloaking device of the ship and then N’Haru turned and collapsed backward against a crate.

 

“Whew, that was exhausting,” N’Haru reported as he looked up at his Master, who smiled at him and picked him up, to carry his boy to the showers the way he’d had to the last time. Everyone on the ship, by this point, knew what that would probably mean, living as closely as they did. Even so, it was hard to begrudge them their relationship, especially since it predated their time on the ship and it would’ve been unfair to expect them to change their dynamic and their personal traditions just because of who was around.

 

The following morning’s training, as the ship proceeded through hyperspace to another destination in the Outer Rim, found Kazenna taking their lightsabers and removing the lightsaber crystals from them. As she had them sit and fold their legs underneath them, she handed them the crystals she had just removed from their lightsabers, before sitting in front of them and folding her own legs in the process.

 

“Today’s exercise will be one of the Force, and not of combat training. A strong connection to the Force is vital; today, we will be working on our focus, our concentration, and our ability to control the Force that flows within and around us. You shall channel all of this into your crystal: express the depth of your trance and the fullness of your command, by changing the colour of that which now rests in your hand,” Kazenna said, much to the surprise of both young men, and the wonderment of the Force-insensitive audience.

 

Shane opened his palm and looked down at the two unassuming crystal shards that lay in his palm then took a breath and brought his other hand around so that it was as if he cupped them in both hands simultaneously. Green eyes closed as he focused himself on the task presented, calming his mind and his thoughts as he centered the whole of his thought on the crystal shards in his palm. Meanwhile, N’Haru focuses irises of deep blue on the shard of shimmering aureate crystal in his hand, and resolved that if that was the day’s task, he would centre his focus upon it. He placed his right palm on his thigh, his legs bent so that his calves were crossed as he rose onto his knees slightly, closing his eyes and holding the crystal about a half-metre ahead of him, directly ahead of his heart. Kazenna watched them both while she remained in a similarly meditative position, watching one and then the other close their eyes, noting that N’Haru opted for a slightly more elevated posture. Each was nevertheless soon a serene presence that she sensed via her connection to the Force, as clearly as she could see them with her eyes.

 

The amount of time involved meant that their audience came and went, to some degree; as their trances stretched from before breakfast to before lunch. Early in the afternoon, however, S’Kara silently brought a finger to her lips and then motioned toward Shane, whose strands of red had started to waver and flutter a little. N’Haru’s hair started to float a few minutes later, as if there were an updraft coming from underneath him, even as the crystals in Shane’s palm started to hover about a centimetre above the surface of his skin. A faint amber shimmer emanated from each of the crystals, as they started to rotate around one another like a tide-locked binary planet system, shimmering and floating there as Shane’s focus centered on them. A few short minutes later, as the luminance in Shane’s crystals gradually brightened, the crystal in N’Haru’s palm started to float and shimmer as well, vertically upright and rotating on a lengthwise axis.

 

This continued for more than an hour, until Shane’s twin crystals each shimmered like candlelight and a few minutes later, N’Haru’s shimmered at similar brightness. Finally, Shane’s crystals started to oscillate colourfully, transforming from the standard amber of kasha crystals to something different, to something more definitively his own colouration. It oscillated through earthen colourations until it settled on a deep and vibrant green that matched his irises, the crystals now emanating a verdant luminescence as they continued to revolve around one another. A few minutes later, the final crystal started to oscillate, over N’Haru’s semi-extended palm, fluctuating through water-tones until it established into a dark, tranquil shade of blue that mirrored the Bpfassh’s own natural iris colour. The three crystals sparkled vibrantly as their respective owners continued to focus on them, forming deeper personal resonance with the crystals as through their focus, they established a greater connection to their crystal. Finally, Shane took a deep breath before he released a heavy sigh, the crystals clinking gently together as they fell back onto his palm and his eyes opened, then widened a little in surprise as he saw their now deeply verdant pigmentation.

 

As he looked up, he noticed the shimmer of luminous dark blue filling the room and looked over his shoulder slightly, seeing N’Haru’s still-rotating crystal. Then, his boy released a heavy breath of his own and the light faded away before the crystal fell lightly against his hand, and N’Haru’s eyes opened with a twinkle of accomplishment as he found that his kasha crystal was now blue.

 

“Excellently done, both of you. These crystals are now more than they were before, because now they are connected to you, as a particular individual, rather than more broadly connected to you as Force-sensitives,” Kazenna said with a voice of self-satisfaction, “Remember that serenity and focus always has a place in our lives, but that we must also never lose sight of our heart. Absolute serenity is the Jedi path to the light, and theirs is an honourable and respectable one, but their way is not the only one.” As she spoke, she returned their lightsabers to them, and observed that N’Haru was modulating his own so that like theirs, he could freely alternate between whether he wanted his lightsaber to cut, or only to inflict welts and bruises on someone he hit.


	11. To Slay a Sith

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The crew of the Nighthawk lays a trap for their dogged pursuer, and then returns to Belazura...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning: There is a kinky and somewhat lengthy erotic scene at the end of this chapter shortly following the return to Belazura. If you are not fond of the erotic scenes in this story, please feel free to stop reading the scene. It is at the end, so you'll only have to skip to Chapter 12.

For almost a month, they continued to train consistently while waiting for information from Alliance Command about what they could do to assist the rebellion further. Finally, one day before late morning training, Kazenna called a ship meeting to inform them she had received new information.

 

“Alliance intelligence has laid a trap for Inquisitor Ogden Thorpe on the planet of Velabri; we allowed the Empire to raid a remote facility on another planet in the Outer Rim where we allowed information to be ‘captured’ by the Empire. It was seeded with information to draw Thorpe here, including references to the ‘lightsaber-wielding criminals’ he’s been tracking and special mention of one with a staff. Our intelligence operatives left clues just unsubtle enough to be deciphered to suggest that our base of operations is on Velabri, defended by a garrison of not more than one hundred, mostly noncombatants. Due to the Inquisitor’s repeated failures to kill or capture us, in particular N’Haru, he has been denied a warship or a full complement with which to attempt to take this base. More precisely, this mission is intended to be a suicide mission for him: he is being sent in a Gamma-class Light Personnel Carrier. The only way he could be more fracked is if they sent him in a Ye-4,” Kazenna began, “The Gamma-class is even smaller than the Nighthawk. He will have a maximum of three and a quarter dozen imperial military personnel; smart money would say any soldier being sent with him isn’t well-liked by the imperial brass, either.”

 

“Should mean that some of those imperial soldiers might consider defecting,” N’Haru observed, and Kazenna nodded faintly in response.

 

“Admittedly, that’s a slightly idealistic hope, but it’s a possibility the Alliance does not have the luxury to ignore right now, either. Alliance intelligence already considered it, they’re going to give whoever steps out of that ship one chance and one chance only to survive the day by dropping their weapons and surrendering immediately. Of course that does not mean that they won’t be shot by whoever’s standing next to them, but a slim chance of survival is better than not having a chance at all,” Kazenna said, as the cloaked ship descended toward the planet. The planet had some familiarity in that it was a desert planet with a lot of rock formations, which meant plenty of places to hide behind in the area of the glaring concrete bunker that was sitting on its’ surface. It wasn’t especially subtle, but it _was_ already out in the middle of nowhere in galactic terms, so maybe that was enough to convey the suggestion of it being a secret rebel stronghold. Once they landed and made certain to announce their presence to the garrison so they would know there were allies outside the bunker, they adopted positions shielded from overhead visibility.

 

As they heard the approaching ‘imperial gift box’ as it entered the atmosphere and then descended directly toward the rebel bunker, they watched the gunners of the bunker take aim, shooting off the carrier’s onboard laser cannons, then hit the engines. The carrier came down hard, slamming into the ground and making a cloud of dust as it skidded across the desert floor before slamming with a metallic thunk into one of the near-mountainous rock formations.

 

“Don’t let the rebel scum steal your will to fight with a sucker-punch before the fight has begun!” came the Inquisitor’s voice, rife with cold hate and icy fury, as he activated his lightsaber. A bright glow of dark red created a luminescent globe inside the disrupted dust as the Inquisitor walked out of the dust toward the bunker. As he did, Shane nodded to his pet across a hundred-metre gap between two rock formations, and Kazenna confirmed it beside the young Bpfassh.

 

“He’s here for you, mainly,” she whispered, “go do what you do best.” N’Haru rotated out from behind the rock wall and strolled casually as the rebel cannons on the bunker fixed on the imperial soldiers emerging from their carrier and into a kill zone. On one side, the rebel bunker, and on the other, N’Haru with his staff, though nobody but the alliance soldiers had noticed his movement yet.

 

“Any imperial soldier who divests himself of arms and surrenders immediately will not be taken prisoner unharmed,” N’Haru called out. Even as he was walking toward the bunker, the Inquisitor froze in his tracks and a bushy left brow twitched as his rage spiked and he turned slowly to look to see his nemesis.

 

“You!” the Inquisitor howled with rage, charging toward him with his boots thundering across the desert floor loudly and a trail of dust pursuing him as he swept toward the young Bpfassh.

 

“Allow me to demonstrate what fate befalls anyone who refuses this offer,” N’Haru said as he lifted his staff off his shoulder and spun it through the air quick and hard, with a deep whooshing sound. In response, the imperial soldiers hesitated and looked at one another questioningly, then turned their rifles toward the ground; they could, at least, listen and hear out what the rebel had to say if the rebels were willing to accept their surrender.

 

“Now, then, as for you,” N’Haru said, turning his eyes toward the Inquisitor with a squint as he whirled his staff once more through the air and halted facing him with his weapon held ready. As the Inquisitor neared within a dozen metres, N’Haru slid one hand along the shaft and then seized tightly, activating a dark blue lightsaber blade twenty-five and four-tenths centimetres in length. N’Haru caught the pulse of fear that instantly emanated from the Inquisitor as Ogden skidded to a halt and stood with his blade at the ready six metres from him. His eyes narrowed and a faint smirk curved across grey-hued lips, and N’Haru leaned forward slowly, legs bending faintly before he burst across the distance with his staff, leaping and bringing his blade down in a flashing blue arc. The Inquisitor, intimidated by N’Haru activating his blade and then startled by the unexpected burst of aggression, faltered into a defensive posture as he blocked that attack with his blade.

 

Even as he moved back, N’Haru whirled and slammed his boot into the much larger male’s stomach, reinforcing his strike with the Force to throw his enemy backward. His aggression continued as he swept forward, the telltale sound of lightsaber combat filling the air with a deep and ominous hum as imperial soldiers leapt out of the path. Even as he continued pressing the Inquisitor backward, imperial soldiers were struggling merely to keep themselves from being at risk of a _stray_ swish of that dark blue blade killing them purely by accident. Finally, fear and hate and rage bubbled in the Inquisitor until he was able to give himself a burst of agility, pulling himself clear of the onslaught long enough to turn the tables and go on the offensive, himself.

 

Red lightning crackled across the faint gap, missing N’Haru the first time before hitting his blade the second time as N’Haru set his feet and focused on the discipline of tutaminis. He drew power from his enemy’s onslaught even as the Sith unloaded fury and hatred at him, red lightning crackling around the dark blue of his lightsaber blade and vanishing into him as he used it to rejuvenate himself. N’Haru braced his feet on the earth even as he was being slowly pressed kinetically backward, boots sliding through the sand of the desert floor as he simply endured his opponent’s onslaught. Finally, Ogden’s electrical attack ceased as he took a breath then charged, bringing his blade down in a cleaving strike overhead, a loud hum sounding as it slammed into the phrik alloy of the staff. He twisted the blade, attempting to cut down along the staff toward his enemy’s fingers, but N’Haru twisted the shaft quickly, slamming the butt of his pike into the side of Ogden’s head. As he stumbled sideways, the Bpfassh whirled full around and brought the same end of his weapon across to slam into the back of both of Ogden’s thighs, causing him to stagger forward past N’Haru while the younger male turned to face him once more.

 

“You little bastard,” Ogden snarled with fury as he whipped around, a loud hum as his blade slammed into the phrik alloy of his pike-staff, launching onto the offensive once more. For his part, N’Haru was not bothered in the least by the renewed aggression from his adversary, simply turning it against him.

 

“Actually, that reminds me, after you murdered your parents because they were members of the rebellion,” N’Haru started, feeling twitches of shock and outrage on learning he’d killed his own parents, “did you attend the funeral? Or did you skip that to ask your superiors for permission to rape your little sister?” The fact that Ogden didn’t deny killing his parents gave N’Haru’s words credence with the soldiers listening in on the conversation while trying to remain far enough from the fight to ensure N’Haru didn’t kill them by accident. On learning they had been sent with a man who had raped his little sister with imperial approval to do so, there was a sharp pulse of revulsion and disgust from every imperial soldier that had come with him, and at least a couple of them looked physically ill.

 

For his part, Ogden’s rage only built on the knowledge that rebels had actually delved into his background, and once more, Ogden released a powerful bolt of red lightning in an attempt to kill him. He didn’t notice the movements made by Shane and Kazenna, but that was because he was utterly focused on N’Haru, whose burgeoning talent in using the discipline of tutaminis was immunizing him against the Sith lightning. The younger male was primarily able to handle it by way of allowing it to kinetic press him backward, making the bolt grow longer the longer it was maintained and thereby drawing more power, while channeling a lot of it into the ground. When Ogden took a breath once more, the large man charged across the few metres that now separated them and made another leaping strike, though this time, N’Haru sidestepped. As he did, he brought his own weapon in a deep, whooshing sweep that struck Ogden in the back with the butt of his pike and knocking him face down in the dirt.

 

 

“Playtime’s over, Ogden,” N’Haru declared as the man pushed himself to his hands and knees before staggering up to his feet and whirling to face his opponent, still holding his greatsword lightsaber.

 

“You haven’t won, you little whelp,” he declared bravely, though the shimmers of fear at his impending demise and intimidation at the smaller male belied his assurance. Even as he let his fear and rage and hate course as a source of dark power, he lurched forward to strike at his enemy once more. One last time, N’Haru sidestepped the attack, before whirling as Ogden fell face first into the desert sand again, stepping forward and bringing his blade in a sweeping slice that went down the man’s spine from the base of the neck to the hip. The Inquisitor’s eyes widened at first then faded into death at the precision kill-strike, leaving a good-looking corpse for his sister’s benefit to see proof he was dead, while still ensuring he was very, very dead.

 

As N’Haru turned from the dead Inquisitor toward the remaining imperials, he nodded as they dropped their weapons to surrender, one stepping forward with a cordial salute.

 

“Commander Hamish Drath,” he introduced himself, a man of between thirty and forty years with brown hair, green eyes. A solid height of one hundred eighty centimetres with a weight probably around ninety kilograms, he was strong, fit, and healthy, and N’Haru sensed no inherent hate from him.

 

“And an Empire that encourages a man to murder his parents and rape his sister, is not the Empire I joined; we hereby officially surrender ourselves to the Alliance,” the Commander continued.

 

“Your surrender is accepted, Commander,” Kazenna said as she approached, “and your cooperation in the few coming months could represent an opportunity for you to strike back at the Empire that deceived you.”

 

“It would appear that while the Empire wished us to believe that all nonhumans were honourless animals, that was in truth what he desired his soldiers to be,” Commander Drath replied as he looked at the corpse of the Inquisitor, before turning his attention back to the zabrak woman, “You’ll have our full cooperation. The Empire wishes to see humanity as enslaved as every other species in the galaxy, just with a fancier collar on our necks; that is not for me.”

 

“Glad to hear it, Commander. You realize, of course, we must take the appropriate precautions until we’ve had time to get to know one another,” said a new voice, as a man approached notably older than Hamish was, with greying light brown hair and eyes of a similar cinnamon-brown colouring, with a light complexion.

 

“Captain Arik Lorne,” the man introduced, as a team of his marines accompanied him, and the imperial soldiers readily submitted to having their wrists clamped behind their backs. Some of them delayed in that long enough to rip off their imperial insignia first and cast it into the dirt, for which N’Haru could certainly not blame them after what they’d just learned about the Empire.

 

“You needn’t remain long; once our transport arrives, we’ll be secure to extract from the planet,” Arik said, to which Kazenna nodded in answer.

 

“Excellent,” she replied vocally, they already had their next orders. More accurately, old orders now accurate, in that they needed to return to Belazura before the young Lady of the Outer Rim arrived per her Lord’s orders.

 

Even once they had returned to the ship, the cloaked Nighthawk remained present in the planet’s atmosphere until the landing of a confirmed Alliance-aligned Pelta-class frigate, extracting the entire garrison and their new prisoners.

 

Meanwhile, the Nighthawk returned rapidly to Belazura, slipping into the hangar bay undetected at the same time as the personal shuttlecraft of Lady Lora Caine entered to land. Once Kayla Thorius introduced herself, welcomed Lora to the mansion and escorted her out of the hangar, they proceeded out of the Nighthawk clandestinely. Soon enough, the Nighthawk crew had snuck stealthily into the mansion without Lady Caine seeing them even as the Crescent-class ship the Valiant landed with the Mandalorian team. At the same time, Shane and N’Haru crept stealthily until reaching their shared chambers, where they quickly redressed and then snuck back to the hangar-bay and onboard the Valiant.

 

“All is ready?”

 

“Yes, they’re bringing Lady Caine out for the show, now,” Groff joked, waiting until Lady Thorius walked out into the hangar bay accompanied by Lady Caine. The redheaded now twenty-three-year-old, whose birthday Shane missed, was as lovely as ever, blue-green eyes focusing immediately upon her Lord as he strode down the boarding ramp and disembarked from his personal transport. He caught her admiring the vessel, itself, as she stood dressed in a sparkling dress of dark green, perhaps an attempt to match her dress to her Lord’s eyes, accompanied by soft leather knee-high boots of a deep brown colouration laced up the front with nickel fittings. Her arms bare and exposed by the nature of her dress though her legs were utterly concealed, by either the boots or the dress, she waited patiently for him, standing respectfully beside her Lord’s mother. As a long, shallow metal crate was unloaded behind him once he and his slave had disembarked, her eyebrows furrowed, eyes turning to her Lord as he approached her.

 

“My Lord,” she curtsied respectfully, and Shane noticed that she had brought Jans with her, standing quietly to a side, though as she rose and looked back toward the crate, the question she wanted to ask but was too polite to was obvious.

 

“Ah, the corpse of Inquisitor Ogden Thorpe, recently recovered from a planet by my guards, at a considerable personal expense. Our hostess is his sister, an upstanding Lady of the Colonies and the selected Imperatrix of the planet whereon the gala is being held. She requested that I track down her brother and bring her news of him; she has been after him a number of years, you see. Their parents were rebels, and though a child she aspired to the same at the time; when he found out that his parents were working with the early phases of the rebellion, he contacted the Empire. The Empire’s response was to encourage him to kill his parents and do whatever he felt was necessary to convert his sister to loyalty to the Empire. His solution was to pose as a rebel while assaulting and violently raping his sister,” Shane explained it all very calmly, almost impassively, as Lady Caine’s eyes widened with shock and then horror.

 

“My Lord, how do you know all of this?”

 

“It is amazing the trophies a sick bastard like this one carries about with him. He carried a complete journal where he proudly related all of it. It wasn’t even the Empire’s idea, you see: he sought their approval for the rape of his sister, and when he received it, he volunteered,” Shane added poignantly, causing a shudder of intense distress to pass through the twenty-three-year-old woman’s body in answer, “She will be most pleased to receive his corpse and learn that her attacker is quite dead.”

 

“My Lord, how can you support the Empire knowing what they allowed, even encouraged, him to do to his sister?”

 

“Obviously, I do not support the commission of such… brutal atrocities,” Shane replied as he looked disdainfully at the plain metal coffin in which lay the largely intact corpse of the Inquisitor, aside from a lightsaber cut to the spine, “Still, what more would you have me do?” Her eyebrows furrowed thoughtfully, as she looked down silently, rolling her shoulders a little bit before looking back up to him.

 

“I am… uncertain, my Lord,” she answered finally, “there is something else, though, my Lord. Are we departing for the gala today?”

 

“No, we will have a few days during which I will take you to purchase new clothes to wear to the gala,” he replied, as he looked her over, examining her appearance, “Of course, I, personally, feel you look perfectly wonderful, already. Sadly, most members of the imperial military’s high command who will be present, and most of my fellow Colonial nobles, are unlikely to be so progressive in their thinking. Besides which, the attendance of an event like this is a fine opportunity for a lovely Lady to acquire near clothes, wouldn’t you agree?”

 

“Why… y-yes, thank You, my Lord!” she replied graciously, before her cheeks coloured faintly as she glanced over a shoulder to her hand-servant, Jans, “but, before that, my Lord, might we have a moment to speak more privately?”

 

“Of course,” he answered, motioning toward the door to suggest she should proceed, before looking over his shoulder at the Mandalorians, “Keep the coffin somewhere secure until we are prepared to leave, but make sure that it is back in the cargo hold before we leave.”

 

“As you command, my Lord,” replied one of the Mandalorian marines casually, and after giving a lordly nod in reply, Shane proceeded through the door of the hangar bay where the Lady and her hand-servant waited patiently. A moment later, Lady Thorius came through the door, placing a hand on his shoulder, leaning in and kissing him on the cheek as she presented herself in the maternal role.

 

“Laine, I am going to need to leave you in charge of the estate for a few days; I will be back before you need to leave for the gala, but I have business that must be attended to in the Core Worlds,” she covered, nodding politely to Lady Caine, “Your Lady-friend is quite lovely.” Then she turned and departed through the doors to the hangar once more, leaving her ‘son’ in charge of the entire estate for as long as she was away.

 

“This way, girl,” he said as he turned his attention back toward the twenty-three-year-old, who followed deferentially, just behind him and off to his right. Her cheeks coloured faintly when she noticed that her position was a mirror to the position of his slave, on the opposite side of him, but she remained silent and subservient to her Lord. Soon enough, they reached the door to the young Lord’s chambers, which he opened before motioning her inside, then followed and allowed his slave and her hand-servant to follow after. Her servant quickly closed the door behind him as he entered, while Shane turned his attention toward his girl, having not forgotten his instructions.

 

“Slave, remove the Lady’s dress,” he ordered, and his boy immediately nodded and moved behind her, unzipping her dress. Her arms rose compliantly, allowing her Lord’s slave to pull it off her body to reveal that she had not forgotten his instruction, either, and had foregone lingerie. As N’Haru tossed it on the bed, Shane reviewed her as she stood in front of him, her arms still above her head subserviently, now wearing only knee-high boots over knee-high stockings. Stripped nearly bare even with her servant still in the room, her cheeks did not colour with a blush, she had apparently become accustomed to at least this one seeing her nude.

 

“Jans, did your Lady at any time don proscribed garments since I last saw her?”

 

“No, your Lordship, per her orders I made certain that she did not; her lingerie remains in a locked box in my quarters,” Jans replied quietly, and Shane nodded firmly.

 

“Good. Did your Lady at any time attempt to purchase proscribed garments for herself and need to be reminded that she was not permitted them?”

 

“… three times, your Lordship,” Jans replied, and Shane noticed Lora’s light flinch that accompanied that statement, though she did not look at him harshly. He nodded and stepped up to the subservient girl, standing exposed to his eyes with her arms above her head to give her Lord full access to her body.

 

“Hmm, three times, girl? How do you think you should be punished for that?” asked Shane with a faint smirk, and her cheeks coloured subserviently as she considered her own disciplining. She bit her lower lip lightly as she thought and thought, then looked up and made eye contact submissively.

 

“My Lord, should my punishment be painful or humiliating?”

 

“Humiliating, pet; we both know you enjoy pain, and you’ll be rewarded for following my instructions soon, but first you must be punished for attempting to purchase proscribed garments,” Shane replied, wondering whether she’d like humiliation as much as she liked pain. She’d actually savoured being spanked, though he’d be amused if she became aroused by being debased and humiliated, too, given that she was a noblewoman. She thought for a few minutes more, and then blushed deeper as she looked back up to her Lord.

 

“Well, girl, how do you feel you should be punished for your missteps?”

 

“My Lord, I should… be forced to allow Your slave to use me for his pleasure before being permitted my reward or the privilege of servicing You,” she answered, cheeks stained red. Shane lifted a hand to his chin thoughtfully, feigning lordly contemplation as he glanced over his shoulder toward her hand-servant, Jans, then back to her. Her servant was a man of probably twenty-six, with ear-length hair of dusty blond and hazel irises, a pale complexion that lacked the freckles that she boasted on hers. He was about a hundred seventy-three centimetres tall and around seventy-nine and two-fifths kilograms if Shane had to guess, and looked like he was healthy and athletic despite his sedate occupation as a domestic servant.

 

“An excellent thought, girl, but I feel it does not go far enough. You will certainly let my slave use you as thoroughly as he might wish, but first,” Shane said as he took a step to one side and motioned toward her hand-servant, “You will kneel and service your hand-servant.” Her eyes widened and her servant blinked and stared in surprise as well, though Shane snapped his fingers to indicate he meant her to do it promptly. Lora swallowed but nodded subserviently to her Lord, crossing the short distance and lowering until her knees were separated from the hard floor by only a thin layer of cotton and a slightly thicker layer of leather. Her hands rose, and she unbuckled her servant’s belt, then unbuttoned and unzipped his pants, closing her eyes for a moment as she took a deep breath then pulled down to reveal that Jans was indeed aroused by the idea of his Lady pleasuring him. His cock stood at a comparably modest length of seventeen and three-quarter centimetres, but rock-solid and erect, as her eyes opened and fixed on the sight of her servant’s cock in front of her face.

 

“Get to it,” Shane ordered, and his girl closed her eyes tightly as she opened her mouth and swayed forward quickly, taking it in her mouth to the hilt and sealing her lips around the base. Her cheeks darkened even a bit more as she did, but she started to bob her head fast and hard on the cock now in her mouth, accepting her punishment and sucking her own servant’s cock. Shane suspected she was doing her best not to think about who she was sucking or how much the servant must have been enjoying the reversal of position as his Lady was compelled to kneel before him and moreover to service him. He watched as the man’s fingers curled and uncurled at his sides, eyes shutting as he slowly started to sway his hips against her mouth as she bobbed her head, relishing the pleasure as he tried to control himself. Even as N’Haru was stripping down to fuck the young woman who might soon be as much Shane’s slave as he was, Shane’s cock was hardening in his pants, visibly. As she focused on completing the first phase of her punishment, Shane smiled at his nude boy as the Bpfassh gently removed his Master’s clothing and folded it neatly, one article at a time, before moving to stand near Lora patiently.

 

“Go ahead, Jans, your Lady is being punished. Grab her hair,” Shane encouraged, and Jans took a breath then moved his hands, getting large handfuls of long red hair, “Good, now, fuck her mouth hard. Don’t hold back.” In answer, her hand-servant nodded and her cheeks stained just slightly deeper as her slave started to skull-fuck her hard and fast as her hands moved to his thighs for balance as she took it. He wasn’t phenomenally endowed, he couldn’t plough down into her throat, but he could pump her mouth aggressively, relaxing into punishing his Lady for her missteps with her Lord, growing rapidly fonder of the man. The man resisted for nearly two minutes as he pounded his cock forcefully into her mouth, looking toward the young Lord who had given him this gift and trying to wait for the young Lord to give further instructions. As he felt his pleasure building, though, Shane could tell he was getting close by his facial expression, and he smirked a little bit in satisfaction.

 

“Your Lordship, I am getting close…”

 

“You must pull her head off your cock when you’re ready, then,” Shane indicated, and the servant nodded a bit as he continued for about thirty seconds longer before he arched his hips and pulled her hair hard. She squeaked faintly with pain as her hair was yanked, her eyes snapping shut quickly as her servant’s cum pulsed out of his cock and splattered her face, as he looked toward the young Lord obediently.

 

“Stick your tongue out, girl, he has something for you,” Shane said, and Jans squeezed the last drops of his orgasm to the end of his cock as her tongue extended, and he slid the head of his prick along her tongue to leave those drops on her tongue. She took it into her mouth and swallowed, and Shane nodded, and then motioned a seat nearby.

 

“Step out of those, and take a seat, servant. I may grant you further pleasures from my girl, depending on how well I feel she accepts her punishment,” Shane said, and Jans quickly stepped out of his pants and undergarments, allowing them to remain where they were as he took a seat. At a nod of approval from the young Lord, Jans started to stroke it as he watched the Bpfassh slave step up and slide his grey rod into his Lady’s mouth. Lora’s head immediately started to move up and down, fast and hard as she sought to pleasure him, though N’Haru preferred it when his Master sucked him; his Master actually knew how to pleasure His boy. She sucked well, though; her pace and force were tolerable, of course, but he finally sighed and held her hair, forcing her to slow down.

 

“Tighten your lips and take it slow,” N’Haru said, and she modified her movements. Her Lord had said this was to be her punishment, and that she was to allow his slave to use her to his fullest pleasure, which meant not just sucking an alien slave’s cock, but sucking it the way the slave told her to. Shane could see the faint glistening of a hint of moisture in her slit, though, and he knew that however embarrassed she was, she liked sucking cock. As N’Haru’s cock started to pulse in her mouth, she slowly slid her head up along the length of his cock before removing it from her mouth as he was pulling her in that direction. Her eyes remained shut as a second load of jism sprayed across her face, taking it in quiet subservience to her Lord as Shane leaned against one bedpost, his cock hard as a rock as he watched, almost painfully hard as he enjoyed the sight.

 

Lora’s hips rose off the floor as she felt his hands leave her head, felt one hand trail down her back as he moved around her, arching her hips compliantly as she felt him behind her. She sighed softly in pleasure as she felt his cock sliding into her moistened slit, murmuring something that sounded like gratitude for his stamina. Her sex moistened rapidly as the hard shaft of grey slid inside her all the way to the hilt, a soft whimper of pleasure as his length filled her body.

 

“My Lord, may I…” started Lora, trailing off slowly.

 

“Eat it, slut,” Shane ordered, and one hand immediately rose to start wiping the cum off her face and licking it up off her hand as N’Haru started to ride her slowly from behind. He watched her obediently eating the jism of his slave and her own servant, until her face was clean and dry once more, and after she made eye contact, he watched her eyes then slide down to his prick. He snapped his fingers for her attention and her eyes jerked up to his once more, and then he nodded faintly.

 

“Eyes on that cock, bitch,” he ordered, directing her eyes to her servant’s cock instead, “you’re still being punished.”

 

“Yes, my Lord, apologies,” she answered as her eyes fixed on the prick of her hand-servant instead of on her Lord’s, realizing she should’ve known better, perhaps. Her body started to sway against N’Haru as he fucked her slowly and steadily, driving himself to the hilt with every sensuously inexorable thrust, even as she lusted for it to happen faster. Lora’s voice rose in soft moans each time she felt him buried to the hilt inside her, until her eyes widened a little when she felt him starting to pulse.

 

“Master,” asked N’Haru subserviently, looking to his Owner as he neared his second release.

 

“Go ahead, K’Soku,” Shane replied and N’Haru nodded, bucking once more, finally going as hard and as fast as she’d like, burying himself to the hilt as he felt her sex pulsing around his cock. She arched her body hard, a loud moan of pleasure emanating from her even as her eyes widened and her cheeks stained all over again as she felt him release in her, then felt him slide out of her.

 

“Mm… oh!” she whimpered, transitioning from a soft sigh as he pulled out of her sex to a sharp gasp as she felt him slide firmly into her ass, using the lubrication of their mutual release to ease it tremendously. Her eyes quickly closed, cheeks remaining red as she felt him begin to pump into her incredibly tight, previously virgin rump.

 

“Mm, frack… Master, her ass is a lot tighter,” N’Haru reported obediently, and Shane nodded.

 

“She is taking her punishment like a good girl; you may go gentler on her,” Shane granted, and N’Haru nodded as he slowly pushed to the hilt and began riding her in long, slow strokes, once more. She whimpered her appreciation with a tone of aroused embarrassment, bucking her hips compliantly as she felt that grey shaft opening her up for her Lord’s later use. It took N’Haru nearly twenty minutes more before he was ready, pulsing inside her rump and releasing with a quiet sigh of gratification. She clenched the muscles of her rump around him, squeezing the last drops into her body as he pulled out, as her eyes remained subserviently riveted to her own servant’s cock as Jans continued to stroke his rod. Lora could see it glistening a bit, she knew he must have been quite aroused as he sat and watched her get fucked, watched her take an alien’s cock in all entrances subserviently.

 

“My Lord, may I…” she started, before Shane interrupted.

 

“Have permission to attend your servant’s cock once more? You may,” he answered. Her sex continued glistening in arousal as her cheeks stained yet again, as her servant turned his chair so the young Lord could easily watch her going down on him again. She crawled to her servant, kneeling before him where he sat and rising between his knees, looking to her Lord and making subservient eye contact. He could see a mix of embarrassment and arousal, as she brushed a thick lock of red hair behind her ear, before her eyes dropped down to her servant’s cock and she brought her mouth to it and then extended her tongue. She licked it clean of her servant’s precum, and Shane smiled in satisfaction, even as his cock was so hard it was painful now, watching her take her punishment of humiliation without complaint. Her lips parted as she took the head in her mouth then slid down on her servant’s rod, sucking hard as silky red lips slid to the base, and she started bobbing her head once more.

 

Jans was able to resist for at least a few minutes as he savoured the sensation of sitting there and getting sucked by his Lady, until the muscles in his hips started to tense. He glanced toward the young Lord, who nodded once in approval, then grabbed her head and held it firmly as he unloaded into her mouth and onto her tongue, feeding her his jism with a sigh of relief before he pushed her head to the hilt. Her lips tightened and then he pulled her head up, feeding her his last drops of cum before she swallowed and leaned back, then scooted back so her servant could stand up. She turned away from her servant, rising onto her hands and knees again with her servant behind her, before looking to her Lord subserviently.

 

“My Lord?” she asked, ready to let her servant fuck her as well, if her Lord wished it.

 

“No, my little slut, you’ve adequately made up for your mistakes. Jans, K’Soku, there are showers through that door; go wash, then return,” he ordered. Jans quickly nodded and stripped his shirt off as N’Haru simply waited for him and then led the way to the showers while Shane motioned Lora to him. She crawled to him on her hands and knees, before she knelt in front of him with her eyes on his even as his cock stood directly in front of her face.

 

“Such a good girl,” Shane praised, reaching down and stroking her hair with genuine affection. Her subservience was certainly growing on him; he had a boy, but the idea of having a boy and a girl, both, was deeply enchanting to him. N’Haru had already indicated that he was comfortable with the concept, especially once Shane had promised that his boy would still outrank his girl if Lady Caine became his slave, too.

 

“Thank You, my Lord,” she answered happily, her sex moist and glistening between her thighs as he looked down at her, and he considered whether to fuck her first or spank her first.

 

“Since you’ve taken your punishment like such a good slave,” he said, noting she didn’t wince even slightly when he called her a slave, perhaps because the implication was that she was his slave, “I will let you decide whether you want to be fucked first, or want your reward first.”

 

“I… thank You, my Lord!” she answered graciously, then looked toward his bed and quickly pulled herself up so her breasts splayed across the comfortable fabric of his bed, “I would like to receive my reward, first, my Lord.” He gave a nod in answer, standing upright and turning to face her, one hand gently perching on her rump as he rubbed her ass a little before slipping his fingers between her legs. She arched subserviently in response, and he chuckled a little then pulled his fingers back and patted her rump once, only slightly firmly.

 

“How many do you think you’ve earned, girl?”

 

“As many as my Lord feels His girl is worthy to receive,” she replied, after a moment’s thought. He grinned a bit and slapped her ass hard and fast, watching and listening as she arched and gasped softly in pleasure at the sensation of it.

 

“Good answer, whore,” Shane replied before slapping her rump again, and beginning to spank her in earnest, starting it out considerably lighter than the first two slaps but building up in force and pace, as she whimpered and moaned, a faint arch of her hips with every strike as he watched her slit moistening. Still, she had chosen to receive her reward, first, and he had sufficient self-control that even with her sex right in front of his painfully erect cock, he wasn’t going to go back on that. He felt she’d earned the choice, and since she wanted to be spanked before she was fucked, that’s what he was going to do, continuing her spanking even as her servant and his slave returned. She didn’t blush anymore, her ass reddening brighter and brighter until he would soon start to leave welts, ending the spanking a final, hard, four hundredth slap to each cheek. He wasn’t ready to give her handprint welts yet, even as she trembled and moaned, her thighs moistened with an orgasmic release that had occurred somewhere around three hundred.

 

“Oh… mm… my Lord… thank You, my Lord,” she moaned softly, catching her breath as she felt his hands slide up her back into her hair, and let him pull her back until her knees bent. She slid smoothly off the bed and down into an obedient kneel as he stepped in front of her, allowing his cock into her mouth and down her throat as he used her hair to pull her head down on it. Lora started to suck immediately, moaning gently but enthusiastically on his cock as her Lord started to fuck her mouth firmly, though not the skull-fuck he’d granted her servant the privilege of giving her. Her tongue rolled subserviently around his length as he rammed it repeatedly down her throat until her lips wrapped around the base. His first orgasm would be fast, he knew, because of how long he’d delayed between watching as she got fucked and took several loads of cum into her body, then delayed further to spank her first. Shane also knew that a submissive little whore like her wasn’t going to complain about him unloading into her throat in a scant two minutes, the first time. As he came, she swallowed around his cock, her throat muscles squeezing up the length of his cock and around the head, taking everything he offered until he pulled back.

 

“Good girl,” he said, pulling her hair as he moved around her and pulled her onto her hands and knees, answered by a soft and masochistic whimper of pleasure at the pain in her scalp from him pulling her hair. Her head tilted backward as he continued to pull her hair while he moved behind her and she moaned softly as she felt him slide his cock inside her moistened sex. He leaned over her and kissed the back of her neck as he held her hair out of the way, before then starting to fuck her firmly, pumping his hips fast and hard into her, very much the opposite of his slave’s behaviour in her. She bucked her hips against him hard, swaying her body with all her muscle so that she would be fucked harder because of her cooperation, and he soon got into a good rhythm with her.

 

He was a bit surprised how quickly their movements synchronized, but he grinned as her moans filled the room loudly, looking over at her servant whose cock was rock hard once more as he watched the young Lord plough his Lady. As Shane motioned, Jans stood and approached them, Lora looking up at her servant only briefly before her eyes faltered and riveted on his cock instead as she continued to moan. Embarrassment stained her cheeks dark red again, but even so, Lora licked her lips a little as her Lord’s Cock ploughed into her hard and fast.

 

“Silence this little whore, Jans,” Shane ordered. Jans stepped up and grabbed her hair, forcing his cock into her mouth where she immediately started to suck hard as her servant started hammering into her mouth. She arched her body and continued to buck hard, now swaying in time as her Lord and her servant bounced her between them.

 

“You better suck his cock hard, you slut,” Shane commanded, and Jans groaned in pleasure with a nod.

 

“She is, your Lordship, very hard!”

 

“Good girl, bitch,” Shane praised as her body swayed violently between them, her beautifully modest breasts swaying forward and backward hard as she took it from both ends. Shane felt himself start to pulse inside her and fucked her harder, still, pounding until he pushed to the hilt and held himself firmly inside her as he released. Even as he did, her servant continued fucking her mouth hard and fast, moaning in pleasure as his Lady sucked his cock enthusiastically. As her Lord pulled out of her sex and thrust to the hilt in her ass, she arched and groaned loudly on her servant’s prick, and Jans’ hands tightened in her hair as he bucked hard. He closed his eyes and moaned in pleasure as he released his seed into her mouth, her throat contracting as she swallowed repeatedly, taking the whole of his release as Shane took her ass fast and hard. Her eyes opened and fluttered as she felt her servant’s nuts sweep into her mouth and the end of his cock went down her throat deep, and he moaned in pleasure.

 

She sucked her servant’s nuts for a few moments as her Lord fucked her ass, then struggled a little bit as she found it hard to breathe, looking up at her servant as her fingers gripped his hips.

 

“Your Lordship, the … er, Lady Caine, is struggling a bit to remove my nuts from her mouth,” the servant reported to his Lady’s Lord, directly, as she continued to push only lightly on it.

 

“Go ahead and withdraw, servant, and get dressed,” he answered, and Jans nodded, pulling back and letting her catch her breath as he moved to his clothes as N’Haru dressed himself, as well. Shane resisted for several more minutes then finally pressed to the hilt, unloading inside his older lover as deeply as possible, pulling out slowly while she tightened on him. She sighed in relief as he slipped out completely, though, lowering gently onto the floor to catch her breath at that point, before looking up at him submissively.

 

“Are You fully sated, my Lord?”

 

“I am, girl; you’ve done quite well, but now it is time to wash up and get dressed once more. I believe you will need lingerie now. Tomorrow we will shop for clothes for you to wear to the gala, and discuss more serious matters you’ve expressed concerns on,” Shane replied. Then, he drew her gently to her feet and walked with her to the showers, where he bathed with her until both were clean and dry when they returned to clothe themselves. Then, he gave her a tour of the estate that he had come to be abundantly familiar with, in part because they had taken the time to ensure he could find his way to every nook and cranny of the luxurious manse, specifically for instances like this. It could have been compromising to his cover if someone came to visit him ‘at his own home,’ and he were to get lost someplace wherein Laine Thorius had spent his entire life living.


	12. An Imperial Distraction

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Shane and N'Haru go undercover once more and return to Uviuy Exen for Lord Thorius' charity gala for the Interstellar Children's Aid Fund...

The following morning as Shane woke, he kissed his boy’s lips gently and nudged him lightly, waking him to permit them to shower together and dress in their undercover attire. Then, they moved to the guest wing, where they roused Lora’s hand-servant, sleeping in a room near his Lady’s room in the guest wing. Following the knock there was a long moment’s delay, then the door opened and the man stood dressed and upright, bowing his head respectfully when he saw the young Lord of the House.

 

“Awaken your Lady, servant,” Shane instructed, looking over his simple servant’s attire for a moment, then stepping back to allow the servant to move out into the hall, “If she proves difficult to rouse, you are to pull the covers off her and strike her rump firmly.” The servant nodded unquestioningly and proceeded to the door of his Lady’s room, sliding through the door quietly and shutting it behind him before proceeding to his Lady’s bedside. Shane turned and headed for the statehouse’s primary dining hall, as members of the Nighthawk’s crew and the Mandalorian soldiers would be using the lesser dining hall in the interest of discretion. A few moments later, Jans caught up with them and walked at the young Lord’s side briefly.

 

“Your Lordship, her Ladyship requests that I ask what you would command for her to wear for breakfast and the day’s outing; she has brought a small selection of dresses,” he said, walking while he waited for an instruction.

 

“Did she bring nothing more practical than dresses?”

 

“No, Your Lordship,” Jans replied, and Shane shook his head, pausing a moment to rub his forehead thoughtfully.

 

“Instruct her to select a dress which is comfortable and easy to walk in, which covers her from at least her shoulders to her thighs,” he replied. Her hand-servant nodded and then quickly departed as Shane resumed walking with his boy until they reached the main dining hall. It was time that they make the girl aware of what was really going on, though, and breakfast seemed to be an effective place for that. He wouldn’t bring up last night’s events; she may have enjoyed being embarrassed in the bedroom, but she would have been genuinely shamed if everyone in the galaxy knew all the details of their intimate encounter. Shane certainly had no interest in putting his girl through that, so after they collected their mentor from the lesser dining hall, which was large enough to seat a hundred people for a reason, they moved to the primary one. It could seat about half as many people but in greater style, mainly because it was the estate’s chief dining hall and not the servant’s dining hall.

 

While they waited, Shane dictated the morning meal selection to the staff – hot panna cakes served with bantha butter and poptree syrup, Trammistan chocolate groat milk, seating for five – until the door opened and Lora walked in with her servant. She paused, a bit startled to see the zabrak woman and the number of plates, but when Shane motioned to one of the seats, she obediently took a seat there.

 

“My Lord?” she asked inquisitively.

 

“Lora Caine, this is a friend of mine; we will get to that. Jans, sit there,” he motioned, and the hand-servant took a seat as well, before Shane turned his attention back to her, “Last night, on learning of the atrocities committed by Inquisitor Thorpe, you seemed quite distressed. Do you have an explanation for this?”

 

“I… yes, my Lord,” she answered, faltering for a moment then settling herself, though she was clearly a little nervous, perhaps because of the new face in the room, “the Empire I … that I _thought_ I served, would never perpetrate the kind of actions You described. I believe that Your explanation is the truth, though I have the nagging sensation that there’s something Your Lordship hasn’t conferred to me, yet. You are not telling me everything, but I feel I know you enough to have faith in You, my Lord.”

 

“Indeed. You seemed as if you were concerned about my seeming inaction; have you decided what you would desire for me to do with the information I have about the Inquisitor?”

 

“Is there any way that information could be circulated? Or any way to ensure that there is some penalty for encouraging a man to murder his parents and rape his sister?”

 

“Lora, my pet, it sounds like you think we should share the information with the rebellion. Are you saying you believe we should defect from the Empire and join the rebellion?”

 

“No! I just…” she paused as her mind processed, blinking slowly before she drew a breath and nodded a little bit prior to speaking against, “I guess I am, my Lord… I hope you do not think less of me, but, yes, I believe this is information that should be made available to the rebellion. An Empire that would encourage a man to commit such atrocities is… not the Empire I believed in, and you have shown me that other species are… most impressive, my Lord.” Shane only nodded as he listened, looking toward Kazenna when Lora was done speaking.

 

“You’re right, she is smarter and more compassionate than the Empire would like in a human noblewoman, especially one in an Outer Rim system like Denab, where their hold is tenuous at best,” Kazenna replied, “She also has a deeper fount of courage than we had previously presumed, perhaps deeper than she realized, herself.”

 

“My Lord?” asked Lora even as food was brought out and all five of them, including her hand-servant and her Lord’s slave, were served what appeared to be rich breakfasts, and she stared a little at the quality of the food put before her. Despite the fact that she was a noblewoman on Denab, she’d never eaten as well as what she found before her.

 

“You see, Lora, the rebellion is already aware of the Inquisitor’s crimes against his sister, and thanks to the rebellion, his sister is likewise very much aware of where her brother’s true loyalties were when he was alive,” Shane answered, “I tell you this because I get the feeling that no matter who I am, you are now very much… Mine. As much Mine as my pet, here, is Mine.”

 

“Yes, my Lord, I am Yours. You are the… only person who has left me feeling as satisfied as You did last night, my Lord,” she answered, sounding understandably a little blindsided, but not indignant or angered, “I think I know some of what You mean to tell me now, my Lord. I shall let You speak, though, as a good girl ought let her Master speak.” Shane smiled at her choice of words, and then nodded as he moved to her, bending to kiss her forehead before petting her hair gently.

 

“Good girl,” she shivered as he praised her, “You will, of course, continue to address me as your Lord. Lady Thorius is not my mother; in fact, I am not a Lord at all, but that is the cover that established to allow me to move within the Empire to work against them. It is not the only way I work against them, and before you ask, my fondness for you is genuine and not a matter of building a better cover identity: for that, I could’ve chosen from a wide selection already associated with the rebellion.” Lora listened and nodded in answer, nodding submissively as he instructed her in how to address him, in public, she assumed, but she knew he wasn’t done yet, though she smiled up at him. She was liking what she was hearing, especially that last part, he could sense the spike of self-pleasure when he told her he’d picked her because he wanted her.

 

“In public, House Caine will be a vassal of House Thorius, whose interests you will represent in the Inner Rim; you’ll address me as your Lord. We will be seen in public together and you will of course enjoy all the benefits accompanying being the vassal of one of the Lords of the Colonies. You will retain Jans as your personal hand-servant, he will travel with you wherever I need to send you and for whatever purpose; some of them will be mundane, genuine vassal actions on behalf of House Thorius. Others will be things that somehow subtly assist the rebellion,” Shane continued, stroking her head as he stood in front of her, as he could tell she liked it when he made eye contact by literally looking down at her. He motioned toward their food, nodding to Jans as Kazenna and N’Haru had already started to eat and to enjoy the chocolate milk.

 

“Eat, Jans, that food is for you; that goes for you, too, girl. Unlike the Empire, I feed my pets well,” he said, and Lora nodded, quickly taking a few bites of her food, as he moved back to his original place and sat down, “In private, you’ll be entitled to address me as Master, same as my boy. Jans will, naturally, answer to me: he is still your servant and so you will retain authority over him, but he’ll be expected to follow my commands as well.”

 

“Of course, Master,” she replied subserviently, blushing and shivering with pleasure as she said it and then noted that the Bpfassh was looking at her. When she made eye contact, he offered her a warm smile of greeting, and she smiled back at him, somewhat shy after last night, though it faded a little when she realized that now she was a slave like him and the possession of the same Owner.

 

“Master, may I ask You something?”

 

“You may, pet,” Shane replied, and she smiled appreciatively as she ate, nodding her head gently toward Kazenna.

 

“My name is Kazenna. Your Master and his other slave are pupils of mine; they are both Force-sensitive,” she replied on Shane’s behalf as he ate, and Lora’s eyes widened a little in disbelief.

 

“You mean… you’re a Jedi, Master?”

 

“No, we are allies of the Jedi, but we are not Jedi, ourselves; our beliefs are different, but like the Jedi, we oppose the Empire and we oppose the Sith the Empire employs,” Shane replied, and his girl nodded promptly in response. Still, Lora still looked a bit dazed to learn her Master used something she hadn’t even thought real until she found out that not only was it real, he was able to use it, as was his other slave.

 

“So, Master, what is your name? Is my fellow slave’s name actually K’Soku?”

 

“My name is Shane Morris,” he replied, “and no, his name’s N’Haru Olath. You are not permitted to ever speak either name until I give you permission, however, am I understood?”

 

“Yes, Master,” she replied, “thank You for trusting me, my Lord. Also, thank You for this food, Master, it’s delicious!” Shane smiled at her affectionately as they ate, happy to see that his girl was able to handle the truth well and that she was enjoying the meal. It helped tremendously that he sensed no anger or deception from her, though some sporadic spikes of curiosity, and he smiled when she looked up once more.

 

“Master?” came the questing voice.

 

“Yes, pet?”

 

“When we leave to look for clothes for me to wear to the gala…”

 

“We will start from the bottom and work our way out, and I intend to purchase you an overcoat, as well. If you’re very well-behaved, I might even buy jewelry for you,” Shane replied, and she blushed but nodded quickly in response.

 

“Yes, Master, thank You,” she replied as she finished her food, drinking the chocolate last, “Master, what is this? It is wonderful.”

 

“Trammistan chocolate mixed with groat milk,” he replied, and she shook her head as she swallowed.

 

“We have groats on Denab, but I never thought I’d experience Trammistan chocolate at all,” she replied, and Shane’s smile broadened a little, a twinkle of satisfaction in his irises as Kazenna rose and excused herself.

 

“You boys enjoy your shopping trip with the new girl,” she said, chuckling a little before exiting to the statehouse’s kitchens.

 

“Master?” came another querulous opening.

 

“Yes, My girl?” Shane replied, and she smiled and shivered at the possessive answer.

 

“Are You and my fellow-slave…”

 

“Yes, he is my slut, just like you are, whore. He’s been with me a few years, though, now, and therefore he outranks you; if he wishes to use you for his pleasure, you are to service him without complaint,” Shane said, and she nodded.

 

“Yes, Master, of course,” she replied unhesitatingly, looking to N’Haru with a shy smile, “I hope you will not hesitate to make use of me as you see fit, K’Soku.” Her voice was submissive even toward the boy with whom she now shared the title of slave, while Jans continued to eat and did not interject himself into their conversation.

 

“My Lord?” came the question finally, as Jans finished his meal and looked toward the younger males.

 

“Yes, Jans?”

 

“As the servant of your new slave, will I be expected to…” he started until Shane waved a hand dismissively.

 

“No, you will not be expected to service me, my boy, or my girl,” Shane assured him, and he nodded thankfully.

 

“Thank You, my Lord,” Jans replied, and Shane nodded.

 

“You will enjoy the pleasure of her services, however,” Shane said, causing Lora to look up quickly, “For now, you’ll be entitled in my absence two cum in her mouth or on her face twice per day, and entitled to fuck her ass once, daily. You will be entitled to this for as long as you remain loyal to your Lady and to the rebellion. Slut, you are not to deny him these promised pleasures.”

 

“Yes, Master,” Lora replied readily, smiling submissively at her now Owner.

 

“Thank You, my Lord,” Jans replied appreciatively.

 

“In my presence, you are not to fuck her without my express instruction, or without acquiring my permission. During the trip to and from Uviuy Exen, and the gala, you will obviously not be intimate with her, as we will be presenting a particular image to the Empire just in case our escort is violating our privacy. You will, of course, address me explicitly as your Lord, or Lord Thorius; you will not address my boy at all unless you have no choice, in which case you are to address him as K’Soku, and you will address my new girl as your Lady or as Lady Caine.”

 

“Of course, my Lord,” Jans nodded.

 

“During intimacy in my absence, however, you may, of course, address her for what she is. Also, in my absence, each day she behaves well, you are to provide her with a spanking of one hundred strikes on each cheek on my behalf,” he concluded, and smiled as he saw his girl shiver a little with anticipation. Jans nodded quickly in answer.

 

“Of course, my Lord; it shall be as You command,” he promised, somewhat looking forward to spanking his Lady at the first opportunity. Shane sensed both his honesty and loyalty, as he sat back and smiled in satisfaction at how their morning had gone.

 

“Jans, please take care of these dishes for us,” he said, and Jans quickly and obediently stood and collected the dishes, exiting with them to the kitchen.

 

“Master, may Your girl ask another question?”

 

“You may, slut,” Shane answered and she smiled thankfully.

 

“Master, I enjoy pleasuring you very much, and have no complaint about the instruction to service K’Soku and Jans as well, but…”

 

“You are wondering who will attend to your needs,” Shane said, and she nodded with a faint reddening of her cheeks, a little bashful about it, but definite on needing to know.

 

“Yes, Master.”

 

“I will, that is my responsibility as your Owner,” he said, leaning over and kissing his boy on the lips as N’Haru turned his head subserviently to his Master. Lora shivered in arousal as she watched them, surprised at herself but turned on to see her Master demonstrate intimacy with her male counterpart.

 

“Does that mean?”

 

“Yes, I’ve tended to my boy’s needs, too. He will not tend to yours unless he wishes it, but you will tend to his because he outranks you,” Shane explained, and she nodded quickly in answer.

 

“Of course, Master, understood,” she replied, then tilted her head a little, cheeks staining anew, “Master, would Your girl be permitted to… uh…”

 

“You want to watch me tend to him, pet?” came the question, and she nodded quickly, cheeks remaining in a deep red blush to be asking such a question but she was definitely interested.

 

“Of course; granting pleasure is never shameful, pet, and as a responsible Owner, I am not ashamed to tend the needs of what belongs to me,” he said, and she smiled happily in answer, “For now, we should head out to do our shopping.” He said this as Jans returned to the room, at which point he nodded and moved to the other door, then stopped to turn and look at the young Lord of the statehouse. Shane chuckled a little then gave him directions to the lower garage of the manor, where ground vehicles were located further from the summit of the mountaintop manse.

 

When they were ready and walked down to the garage, themselves, Jans had prepared one of the family’s TR-14a Land Carriers to transport them to the tourist hotspot of a neighbouring mountain. A centre of winter sports activities, there was a small and thriving city there that capitalized on the tourist trade with a number of quality offerings, which included clothes for all seasons. Even if most of the clothes sold weren’t intended for being worn while enjoying the wintry chill and powdery snow of Belazura’s mountains, the slogan “It’s always summer somewhere in the galaxy – be ready for it!” had long been a successful one for Belazura.

 

“First stop should be the lingerie shoppe,” so-described because it sold undergarments, though certainly not exclusive to the female variety, not to mention it included men’s and women’s socks, stockings, and private nightwear. He had been given his own card for his undercover identity to use to make purchases as a Thorius, and he used it here, once they had found some high-thread-count undergarments for his newest pet. She was quick to don them, a faint blush as she savoured the sensation of having on a brassiere and panties once more, accompanied by a pair of new knee-high stockings, all in white. The panties were of the boy-shorts variety, both for the comfort and slightly increased coverage, but either way she slipped into her new clothes rapidly before putting her dress back on and smoothing it out neatly, once her new Owner had paid for the garments, of course. Then, the three of them walked the short distance to a shop that sold women’s formal apparel, where Lora followed her Master subserviently, waiting to see what he might select for His girl.

 

He paused to consider a number of options, some of which made her cheeks tint faintly, some of which made her tilt her head a little bit in answer to the idea of it. Shane looked through a number of options that would demonstrate her natural beauty, the undeniable and some might even say magnetic appeal of a woman who ate well and remained fit, but decided that something so modest could wait.

 

“My Lord, may I ask You something?” came the question from His girl.

 

“You may,” he replied in a lordly voice.

 

“My Lord, are we seeking something… particular?”

 

“Yes, we are, Lady Caine,” Shane replied as he strolled down the aisle, accompanied by his two beautiful pets. Were there envious gazes offered? He rather hoped there were, he certainly felt privileged to be in possession of two slaves, especially ones as healthy and gorgeous as these two.

 

“First, we’re looking for something that shows how beautiful you are because of how well you take care of your body. Your body is healthy and well-nourished, and people should see that a woman should be both seen and heard, and that you needn’t be some frail, mouthless wallflower to be attractive and desirable. Second,” Shane continued, even as he considered each of the options he saw and imagining what she might look like in them, “we’re looking for something that declares to all who see you in it…” As he spoke they walked into an aisle alongside a wall, and he took her arm and pulled her gently forward, pinning her in the corner and kissing her lips firmly as one hand slid down her body to her hips, where he gripped her ass.

 

“This, is _Mine_ ,” he rumbled softly, possessively, in her ear, her cheeks tinting faintest scarlet as she looked up at him and shivered in a response of real, emotional satisfaction, at his choice of words.

 

“Yes, my Lord,” she murmured subserviently, as he slipped back and then turned, resuming his perusal of the options, looking over every item before he would circle back around to pick the ones he wanted. Finally, he circled around and selected an overbust corset dress with the entire surface being embroidered with vivid dark blue thread and shimmering silver thread, the latter in the form of stars. A calf-length skirt of dark blue flowed from the base of the corset with the bottom hem being the same sparkling silver colouration as the stars on the torso and the laces bundled in the back of it. He lifted it off the rack and looked it over more closely, then handed it to his boy.

 

“An excellent choice, Master,” N’Haru answered calmly, “I believe she will look quite lovely in this.” Lora blushed, ever so faintly, as she listened to the praise from the male slave claimed as possession by the same Master that owned her, as well. Shane smiled at her as he looked over his shoulder at her, before he then pulled another dress off the rack, holding it up to examine it more closely. It consisted of a black veil over the torso, with embroidered crescent moons of shimmering white thread, which would grant her the modesty of covering her nipples and small portions of each of her breasts, even as it remained fancifully revealing. It continued down to a veil around the hips that turned to a solid black velvet in the front and back, though the black veil continued down her sides while the solid black covered front and back at ankle-length. From the side, one could see a wearer’s entire body from underarm to ankle, and as the dress was sleeveless, a wearer’s arms would likewise be visible. The dress was floor-length, though the solid black in front and back ended at what appeared to be knee-length on a woman of Lora’s height. It had a trim of shimmering white thread around the solid sections of black that served a modesty purpose, and the black itself was spangled with a field of small, eight-pointed white stars.

 

Lora’s cheeks coloured faintly as he examined it, then nodded and handed it to his boy, wondering which he might have her wear to the gala. She realized that she loved both of his choices, and would most definitely be delighted with being seen in either at a social gathering. Lora looked up and made eye contact as Shane looked over his shoulder at her, and he could tell she was thinking something.

 

“Well, pet?”

 

“I was just thinking, these are so beautiful and I would love to wear either one to the gala,” she replied.

 

“Because they represent the current fashion trend in the Colonies?” replied her noticeably younger Master. She shook her head gently and stepped close, whispering submissively into his ear.

 

“Mainly because my Owner bought them for me, His slave,” she murmured, looking subserviently into his eyes. Shane smiled and slid his free hand around her, pulling her firmly against him as he kissed her lips with a gentle affection.

 

“Good girl,” he whispered as he withdrew from the kiss, feeling her whole body shiver against him in response to the statement, before he released her and walked to the front of the store. He paid for both dresses, whose prices seemed as if they might have been slightly exorbitant but normal for Colonial Lords, apparently, and then waited as the clerk handed the dresses to his male slave. Each was in a bag wide, long, and shallow, intended to protect the garment while also preventing it from becoming wrinkled, as even he knew that dresses were to be hung not folded.

 

“Now, let’s see… ah, yes, one last destination. You’ll need leather, too,” he said, leading her to a store that sold shoes, boots, and jackets, where he found a calf-length overcoat of ultra-soft black leather, and motioned for his girl to try it. Lora quickly accepted it and slipped her hands into it, shivering a little at the luxurious sensation of it against her skin and under her palms as she ran her hands over the outer surface.

 

“Ohh, my… this coat is so warm, my Lord, and so soft,” she answered his unspoken question, looking up at her Owner and offering a shy smile as he nodded. It had a faint shimmer of blue to it, being a true-black bit of leather, with metal fittings of a shimmery silver-white colouration, which would mix well with the dresses.

 

“Good, that’ll be your overcoat for the gala, then. Now, let’s see about a nice pair of boots for you,” he continued, and she nodded as he leaned in close to his boy, and whispered to him, “Of course, I will see you in fancy clothes, as well, someday, my boy.” N’Haru smiled at his Master submissively as they walked through the aisles, Shane could tell that he was not jealous and understood the situation, but he still felt badly about it. It was certainly something to be made up to his boy, however; the war would not last forever, and when it ended, he would see both of his pets dressed finely.

 

“Master?” queried Lora as she paused with him, looking toward a pair of formal dress boots, knee-height of true-black soft leather with glittering silver laces, and he nodded. She was quick to find a pair that matched her size; Shane liked that her feet were no daintier than the rest of her. Once she had tried them on and found that they fit nicely, she returned to her other shoes and carried the shoes with her as her Master went to pay for them, waiting as the boots were boxed and the overcoat was bagged with the same care as the dresses had been.

 

“All right, I believe we are done with our morning’s excursion,” Shane said, and his girl nodded quickly in answer as both of his slaves followed him back to the luxury groundcoach. Once they were in and their purchases stowed neatly, Jans piloted the vehicle back to the Thorius Statehouse, and into the noble house’s garage. As they disembarked, the hand-servant took over for the young Lord in carrying the newly purchased garments for his Lady’s wardrobe, which he promptly transported to her chambers in the guest wing.

 

* * *

 

 

Once more, the trip from Belazura to Uviuy Exen was one of several days, under the armed escort of two Ton Falk-class imperial escort carriers. Despite her nervousness, knowing that her allegiance had changed following a serious reevaluation of what was important to her Lora handled the pressure well and remained mostly silent. When the ship did finally land within the secure hangar of their destination, the Imperatrix was waiting for them, personally, and as Shane and Lora descended the ramp, she nodded her head politely.

 

“My Lord, welcome to Uviuy Exen, once more,” the Imperatrix replied with a smile, “I am glad you could arrive in the appropriate time.”

 

“You are quite welcome, Imperatrix. In fact, I brought something for you, call it a gift in appreciation for your hosting of this important event,” he said, motioning quickly before ‘his Lordship’s Mandalorians’ drew out a large metal box which Lora had seen before. Her Master had put her into the dress with the moons covering her breasts and transparent veils covering most of her body, with the boots and overcoat accompanying it for now.

 

“My Lord, is that…?”

 

“Indeed, Imperatrix,” he replied, and she nodded in answer before turning and motioned her attendant toward the box.

 

“Captain Bann, please see to it this crate is transported to my office, his Lordship has brought me a much-desired item that I wish to review in the near future,” she ordered, and Captain Bann nodded immediately.

 

“Yes, Imperatrix,” Captain Bann replied courteously, offering a friendly smile toward Lord Thorius as he walked past, summoning a few imperial soldiers to help in the transportation. Shane had had them install some security measures, ensuring that he had to be present to unlock it, because of the sensitive nature of the contents. However, that said, the imperial soldiers were easily able to transport it once the Mandalorians had handed it off and then continued to walk with their ‘employer,’ as the Imperatrix turned and motioned them to accompany her. She led them to a convoy where she motioned for the Mandalorians to take a pair of Armoured Personnel Carriers for themselves, as she motioned to a TR-14a Land Carrier as it moved into sight and settled.

 

“I remembered that your Lordship was fond of the security and comfort represented by the Land Carrier groundcoach. I hope you do not mind that I took the liberty of having one summoned from the city,” she said, and Shane offered a polite, lordly nod in answer.

 

“Greatly appreciated, Imperatrix; I trust that preparations for imperial security measures for the gala are underway?”

 

“Indeed, your Lordship,” she replied, escorting him and his companions to the Land Carrier, then moving into it and taking a seat across from him, herself, beside his Lady-friend. Once the door was closed and the vehicle was in motion, with four Mandalorians providing security to the dignitaries in the limousine-like terrestrial transport, the Imperatrix’s muscles relaxed faintly.

 

“I must thank you for bringing the remains of my assailant, your Lordship,” she said, “As you expected, announcing a charity gala for the Interstellar Children’s Aid Fund has solicited a large number of imperial military brass to declare their intention to attend. A number of Generals and Captains, a number of Admirals and Commodores, plus a couple hundred members of the nobility of the Core Worlds out to make sure the galaxy sees them being altruistic. One cannot complain, of course, when their self-aggrandizing pride benefits a worthy charity like the one you’ve chosen, though.”

 

“Excellent to hear, Lady Thorpe,” Shane replied, and she nodded a little in response before she continued.

 

“I take it that your Lady friend can be trusted?”

 

“Absolutely, she is Mine, just as K’Soku is Mine. Her name is Lady Lora Caine of Denab,” Shane replied, “She is my chosen vassal in the Inner Rim, ensuring the interests of House Thorius are attended to. She will be relocating, in the very near future, from Denab to the Inner Rim, though she will undoubtedly retain her noble reputation and influence on her native world.”

 

“You have excellent taste in vassals, your Lordship,” the Imperatrix replied before extending a hand across to the now introduced younger woman, “A pleasure to make your acquaintance. I am Lady Lorna Thorpe, of one of the families of Shelkonwa.”

 

“Oh, my, I… it is lovely to make your acquaintance as well, Lady Thorpe. I had heard of your family’s longstanding noble lineage on your world, and reports of your planet’s beauty and impressive cities,” Lora replied, and Lorna smiled in answer to the younger woman’s familiarity with her.

 

“Have you considered, your Lordship, where in the Inner Rim you would wish to position your vassal?”

 

“I have entertained some thoughts, such as moving her from Denab to the city-world of Denon, whose mass populace and key positioning along two trade routes would position her excellently. However, I’ve come to think that she might be more useful to me on the planet of Tirahnn; populous, yet with land to spare yet for the establishment of a suitable estate. Known around the galaxy in a way that brings people to the planet anyway, she would be well positioned to be of use to me, though it would place her on the far side of the Core Worlds as Belazura.”

 

“I would accept whatever decision You would make, my Lord,” Lora assured him subserviently, and Shane offered a smile in answer to that.

 

“I know that you would, you are respectable and upstanding, and certainly deserving of my attention and being in my service,” Shane replied, “there is, of course, the alternate option of moving her directly into the Thorius Statehouse on Belazura. It is appropriately secure for an imperial noblewoman, and the Valiant could easily transfer her everywhere I might need to send her on business in service to the Thorius Family’s interests throughout the Inner Rim.”

 

“My Lord, that sounds wonderful, but what about using my skills as an organizer for social gatherings?”

 

“Facilities can be arranged for when such becomes necessary; naturally, the varied antiquities of House Thorius would make hosting such events in our personal residence not practicable. However, Belazura has some excellent places for hosting such events, and facilities for different events can be arranged on-world; Inner Rim elites will be falling over themselves, I suspect, to attend.”

 

“Yes… yes, that would put me in a much stronger position to exert influence, as a vassal and envoy of your Lordship’s interests with enhanced negotiating options. If Your Lordship wished it,” Lora replied thoughtfully, “I’d still happily use the proceeds from the sale of my mansion and my vassalage to You to acquire a respectable place on an Inner Rim world near Belazura, for the sake of hosting events with security.”

 

“This idea pleases me; it sounds as if it should blend all strengths, should it not?” She nodded quickly in answer to his question, delighted that her Owner had caught onto the concept so quickly. Since becoming His, she’d learned a little more about his background, and was embarrassed to discover that he was someone she wouldn’t have even allowed a chance. It embarrassed her to realize that she had been the kind of person that she never liked when she met them at a social gathering, and she’d made a real effort to change, for which Shane was proud of her.

 

“Correct, my Lord; as Your vassal and a resident of Your House, I would have strong negotiating options, and dwelling in a planet in the Inner Rim would put me in the hive of social activity. We would need to arrange security, of course, to ensure that no rebels attempt to disrupt social gatherings, but the presence of security personnel would also certainly entice more to attend the events. On the rare occasion that Your Lordship is able to attend, we could even expect there to be hundreds of attendees, which would certainly raise the esteem and influence of Your Lord’s House,” Lora went on, and Shane nodded. He had to admit that he was growing more comfortable with being undercover, and he knew it was the same for N’Haru, though he was still displeased with his boy not getting such nice garments.

 

“My Lord, we’re here,” said Groff, as the Land Carrier slowed to a halt and they were let out into the Great Botanical Gardens of Uviuy Exen, which Shane had to admit, from the perspective of a desert-dweller, certainly lived up to that.

 

“Awesome,” Shane said under his breath, and cleared his throat, adding a lordly nod as he recovered his composure, “Yes, this will do quite well; the courtyard has been converted excellently to task. Lady Thorpe, how many attendees are we expecting to appear?”

 

“Your Lordship’s advertising campaign has proven inspired in terms of effectiveness: four Generals and eight Captains from the Imperial Army, as well as seven Admirals and twelve Commodores. In the civilian side, there is some range of diversity in the attendees, with one hundred twenty-two professional athletes, film celebrities, musicians, and many corporate leaders. Additionally, there are two hundred nine nobles from the Inner Rim, one hundred three nobles from here in the Colonies, and seventy-six nobles from the Core Worlds, including from Kuat, Rendili, Corellia, Coruscant of course,” the Imperatrix answered, “also a few from Samaria, two from Cuvacia, three from Illodia. There’s even a nobleman from Prakith and two from Kalist, who are listed as having intent to represent their worlds for this charity.”

 

“It sounds as if it should be a resounding success for the charity, my Lord,” Lora added, and Shane smiled at her. He could sense the attraction and admiration that emanated off her. It made him feel alive, confident, proud of himself, and immensely happy; it occurred to him that the Sith had to be pretty miserable, being reacted to with nothing other than fear, disgust, and general loathing. Either way, the evening was looking like it was going to be a beautiful, clear, starry evening, and he was satisfied in his choice to put his girl into the largely transparent dress. He wanted people to see how beautiful she was, and he wanted people to see that she was also very much His, as much His as his boy.

 

“Imperatrix, how many soldiers can we count on to ensure that the event proceeds securely?”

 

“I have summoned the entire garrisons of the fortresses of two of the Captains who will be in attendance, other than, of course, Captain Bann,” Lorna answered, and Shane nodded a bit in answer. He knew N’Haru well enough to know that his boy would’ve had something to say, but their cover simply didn’t allow for his boy to speak because of how narrow-mindedly the Empire viewed slaves. He loathed the way the Empire snubbed the concept of consensual slavery under a kind and gentle Master of the sort that Shane strove to be. Shane also knew that when they returned to Belazura, his boy and his girl would both be meritorious of a worthwhile reward for their upstanding conduct. Jans had elected to remain behind, granted the opportunity and the fact that Lord Thorius and Lady Caine would be attended by K’Soku, and the Lady would be in her Master’s direct authority the entire time. Shane had approved, because while Lora looked as if she was ready to throw her hat into the rebel intelligence game, Jans was… no spy.

 

A few minutes later, the sound of vehicles approaching heralded the end of their more private conversation as a variety of journalistic vehicles arrived. The expected media presence set themselves up thoroughly, and when an array of the Empire’s armoured personnel carriers and luxurious civilian groundcoaches approached, the Imperatrix nodded briefly and excused herself.

 

“And, that’ll be my cue to greet the arriving brass and luminaries,” the Imperatrix said, taking a deep breath and then strolling away while journalists approached the ‘notoriously private’ young Lord Laine Thorius.

 

“Lord Thorius?” asked one, and Laine nodded quietly in answer.

 

“Yes, I am Lord Thorius, and you are?” asked in return as the various cameramen and camerawomen kept the cameras down. The entire advertising campaign had been conspicuously absent of any visual or auditory representation of him, because he had expressed a preference to not appear in video or audio journalism, citing that it could detract from the importance of the charity event.

 

“Amy Lee Shor, Corellia Metropolitan News, and may I say it is an honour to be standing here, we were thrilled when your Lordship invited us to participate in the coverage of this event,” she greeted enthusiastically, extending her hand, which he took for a polite moment before releasing her hand.

 

“Well, Miss Shor, it wouldn’t be much of a charity event if we didn’t have the assistance of the galactic media; we wouldn’t reach nearly as many people without the help of the invited news agencies. There are billions of children all throughout the galaxy who are in desperate need of our help, and tonight is really about them; I’m only the organizer, they’re the ones who matter,” Laine answered, to the charm and enchantment of nearly all of the journalists, not just the woman standing most directly before him.

 

“A few questions, Lord Thorius, if you might be willing to humour us a bit?” she asked, “We discussed it on our way here, and given your status and your usual wont for privacy, we’ve narrowed it down to a handful of questions which we feel our readers and viewers would be most interested in. As a gesture of respect, we will be making no visual or auditory recordings, of course.”

 

“Well, with such a charming and courteous request, how could I refuse?” he replied, flashing the same winsome smile, “What would you like to know?”

 

“Thank you, your Lordship. What made you decide to come out in support of the Interstellar Children’s Aid Fund?”

 

“Well, Miss Shor, as you’re no doubt aware, I had a very fortunate childhood; an honourable and loving mother, the privilege of an excellent education, and for the last few years, the service of a dependable, loyal, well-trained slave. It occurred to me that while I grew up in luxury, there were those who died for want of such little things as food, water, somewhere to sleep or be safe from lethal weather. If I did nothing, how many lives would such ignoble inaction cost the galaxy? I realized it was my duty as a nobleman to help these children, these innocent young people all around the galaxy who have done nothing to deserve their current, miserable plight.”

 

“A few of us were wondering, though, Lord Thorius: do you feel as if this might possibly clash with your status as a slave-owner?” came Amy’s next question, perhaps on behalf of a colleague.

 

“Not at all, Miss Shor; as you can plainly see, my slave here is hale and hearty. As any slave-owner should, I keep the boy properly nourished and physically active, to ensure that I will receive the maximum level of service from him for as long as he remains mine to possess,” he replied calmly, “I think slave-owners who prove unable to retain their slave for any length of time, or simply unfit to the task.”

 

“A follow-up question, your Lordship?” she asked, and when he nodded, she continued, “Could you elaborate on your meaning when you referred to slave-owners unable to retain their slaves?”

 

“A slave who runs away is a slave that is untrained and unnourished; once again, I direct your attention to my bpfassh. He makes no effort to ‘escape’ his station: he is well nourished, appropriately clothed, properly trained; he knows his place and enjoys the rewards of embracing it,” he answered firmly. It required him to put the spin of imperial bullshit and humanocentrism on the otherwise truth: if someone granted you the profound honour of their submission and you failed to nurture them and treated them poorly, they’d revoke the privilege and leave. If, however, you treated someone who bestowed their heart and subservience to you, as a treasured possession to be cared for, nurtured, and fastidiously maintained, you’d have a lifelong companion.

 

“I see; thank you, your answer is very enlightening, Lord Thorius!” she answered appreciatively before moving on, to the next question, “You invited a considerable number of people, and it appears that a tremendous number have chosen to attend. Are you satisfied with the number of invitees have arrived as attendees, your Lordship?”

 

“I think I could honestly say that I am. I knew, of course, that not everyone invited would care to show up for this sort of charitable event. It is an unfortunate truth of the universe that there are those wealthy, fortunate persons who believe those less fortunate deserve to be less fortunate and that they are somehow entitled to use and throw away those others. Just as bad, there are those who hold an… unrealistic, uninformed view, of what should be expected of those who are less fortunate.”

 

“And what are your feelings on this matter, Lord Thorius?”

 

“I think this gala makes my thoughts obvious, Miss Shor, but to codify it for your readers, I believe it is the absolute and unequivocal responsibility of those more fortunate to see to the health and wellness of anyone not as fortunate as themselves. It has frequently been said that with power comes responsibility, and unfortunately, so many of our richest and most fortunate citizens have lived luxurious lives free from the consequences of their actions.”

 

“Is there anyone you had really hoped would attend, who did not respond or who outright declined the invitation?”

 

“Indeed there is, Miss Shor – everyone I invited who isn’t here tonight, represents a modest disappointment for me. It was my hope that they would take this opportunity to show the galaxy that they really do care about children in peril, children in need of aid and protection,” he replied, “I think the galaxy will reward those whom you see here, tonight. I would be willing to wager that the professional athletes and the performance artists you see here this evening might discover themselves to have larger fan-bases tomorrow. I suspect that those captains-of-industry you see here tonight, you’ll see their companies do well in the future; that’s what I think. It is oft said there is no such thing as bad press in business, but a truer statement perhaps is that there is no better advertisement than altruism. Put very simply, I believe that compassion sells, Miss Shor.” He found them practically radiating admiration at that point, as Amy put voice to the thoughts of herself and her professional colleagues from other news agencies.

 

“That is a remarkably noble position, Lord Thorius,” she replied, her voice somewhat venerating. Shane was certain her response would’ve been much different if she knew that he was an orphan who had spent a few years of his life in growing up on the streets of Bpfassh, but at least it won some veneration for Lord Thorius.

 

“One final question, Lord Thorius; do you have a goal for this evening, a number that you hope tonight’s charity gala will reach in terms of donations for the children?”

 

“It is my hope that we might raise one billion credits for the Interstellar Children’s Aid Fund this evening, and to that end, I have opened the charity with a donation of one million credits, myself,” he replied, and they nodded quickly in answer, writing the last of his answers down as they had been writing the rest.

 

“Thank you for your time, Lord Thorius. I hope the evening will go as well as you hope,” she said, as a request for his permission to depart. He wondered if Colonial Lords were really so powerful, but he nodded in answer to her comment.

 

“You are quite welcome, ladies and gentlemen. Please, make sure that you enjoy the evening, as well, for you are also the welcomed guests of our hostess the Imperatrix,” he said, then waited while they excused themselves and turned to leave, himself, for somewhere he could play the part of charity organizer.

 

_Going to need a brave face, I think, tonight. Just in case any toadying lesser nobles approach seeking the endorsement of Lord Thorius; or if my girl wants to dance, later_ , Shane thought to himself. Then, he found a seat that had no camera access, but which allowed people to approach him. As the event’s organizer, there was a degree to which Lord Thorius had to be approachable by any number of people he’d have just as soon not spoken to at all.

 

His train of thought proved somewhat prophetic, as the event’s first phase of donations ended, donations made by the imperial military officers as a show of their goodwill to the galaxy. It would make the Empire look slightly less wicked, but he wanted to believe that at least some of the imperial officers in attendance were not as bigotedly humanocentric as the Empire’s overall hierarchy and policies. More importantly, however, it would also alert the rebellion as to whose forces had been temporarily diminished by the unavailability of their highest-ranking commanding officers, and their personal guard retinues. It meant armies on the ground were leaderless, authority divided between sometimes a dozen or more Commanders when their Captain was absent or a dozen or more Captains when their General was absent. The same was true for the imperial admirals and commodores who had come: there were small groups of ships missing in a number of fleets, now, and numerous captains none of whom had true authority to command an entire fleet to action.

 

All of which was information being broadcast to the entire galaxy as captains and commodores donated a few thousand credits, as admirals and generals donated a few tens of thousands. He knew that strike teams around the galaxy were waiting for this moment, having moved secretly into position to launch surprise attacks on forces whose commanding officers would be away. When their commanders left, the Alliance had started clandestine troop and fleet movements, with what limited power they had so far they were going to make a strike at the Empire, both practical and symbolic. The officers’ donations spawned a few million credits in donations, which made it more than worthwhile in Shane’s mind to help exactly the kind of kids he and N’Haru had been themselves, and then there was the actual gala dinner. It offered delicious food of the kind of luxurious quality he savoured, even if he was not able to share it with his boy, his boy was still able to eat something. He made certain of that by establishing that ‘Laine’ believed in maintaining a slave’s health, if for the imperious jackass reason that it was an investment in a property held.

 

The second phase called for donations from the professional athletes and the performing artists that had attended, and Shane was far more pleased with that. Virtually all of them donated at least two million, and none donated less than a million; a few donated as much as five million credits. The response from the galaxy was dramatic in response to that, he noticed, as they watched the counter soar from a few million credits to more than three hundred million credits, as the artists and athletes donated. As the fans of those celebrities donated, the credits poured in and it sailed above six hundred million credits for the Interstellar Children’s Aid Fund, which made Shane happy. Next was dessert, of which none was offered for Shane’s pet, and then it was the nobles’ turn; most of them matched Lord Thorius in his donation of one million credits, which was far less than they could afford but a tremendous aid nevertheless. As the last of the nobles and corporate leaders donated, they were within hairsbreadths of Lord Thorius’ stated goal of one billion credits of donation, and he waited as the small-donor contributions were surging in once more.

 

“My Lord, the dancing portion of the night is coming next,” Lora said quietly as she looked over at her Owner. Shane could tell she was curious, but he shook his head gently in answer, leaning close enough to whisper.

 

“I am … greatly out of practice, Lora. When we get back to Belazura, we’ll add it to the list of things we need to work on,” he informed her quietly. She could probably tell that ‘greatly out of practice’ was code for ‘are you nuts? I don’t know how to dance,’ but he was willing to learn in the interest of his cover identity, and the mutual enjoyment of both of his pets. He knew for a fact N’Haru had no clue how to dance, either, but it would certainly be useful for both young men to learn it: never know when a dance move might come in handy, right?

 

Then came the newsbreak from dozens of star systems all around the galaxy, as it became known to those present the Alliance had launched small but well-organized attacks on numerous imperial positions. Each individual assault made little in the way of difference in the local theatre, but the damage was real: to manpower, to morale, and in symbolism. As the information started to come in, Imperatrix Thorpe sat with them and kept them up to date on incoming military reports, where it confirmed that the rebels had suffered minimal losses where they suffered any at all. The damage to the Empire, however, was considerably more extensive: the oppressed masses of the galaxy saw that the Empire could be hit, and in systems where ground installations were hit on an occupied world, they saw that the Empire could bleed.

 

More than that, however, the damage to the Empire’s forces around the galaxy was actually noticeable and significant: more than two hundred thousand imperial infantrymen killed in coordinated raids in twelve terrestrial installations. In attacks on seventeen fleets in seventeen different star systems, the Empire had lost twenty-six star destroyers, almost twice as many heavy cruisers, and at least twenty troop transports with their entire complement aboard. The losses for the Empire were significant and when one admiral approached, the Imperatrix looked up at him and waited for him to speak.

 

“Apologies for the abruptness, Imperatrix Thorpe, but my colleagues and I need to leave immediately, the rebels have assaulted our forces in various sectors and we must return to our fleets and fortresses,” he said.

 

“Oh, my,” said the young Lord Laine Thorius in answer, “I hope it was nothing … too severe, Admiral?” The man’s attention switched to him with a blink as if only just realizing the young Lord was sitting right there. The admiral was quick to clear his throat and recover.

 

“Oh, nothing severe at all, certainly nothing your Lordship must be concerned of, just minor incidents perpetrated by a few ill-informed malcontents who do not understand the Empire has the best interests of the galaxy in mind,” came the response, and the young Lord nodded and seemed to relax.

 

“Ah, well, that is excellent news, Admiral; thank you for delaying a moment to put my mind to ease,” Shane replied. The Admiral looked relieved the young Lord of the Colonies had seemingly ‘bought it,’ Shane could feel the relief in him as he excused himself and then quickly departed to return to his now damaged fleet. The plus side for the officers here was that they wouldn’t be blamed for the attacks that happened in their absence: they’d received leave to attend, of course, but some of the officers under their command would be at risk of being executed. It wasn’t in the Empire’s nature to be tolerant of failures, even when those military failures were the fault of the Empire and not of the officers being executed as blame was shifted down the ladder as quickly as possible.

 

“I feel as if this evening has been a resounding success, Lord Thorius; I think it has turned out to be everything we’d hoped it would,” Lorna said once the admiral was suitably distanced. Shane nodded coolly in answer.

 

“Indeed so, Imperatrix Thorpe; indeed, perhaps more than we hoped,” he said, offering a somewhat imperious motion of his hand toward the board, playing the part of Colonial Lord dutifully, even when there might not have been anyone watching. Her eyes followed his motion and her eyebrows rose with a faint smile of satisfaction as she noticed that it had climbed to 1.1 billion credits.

 

“Isn’t that slightly above what you told the journalist you had hoped for?”

 

“Indeed, it is. Speaking of which, it is growing late,” Shane replied, and she looked toward the countdown timer and noted it was blinking.

 

“Ah, yes, that would be my cue,” she said and stood, crossing the distance to where she could take centre stage, again. She spoke for a few minutes on how pleased she was with the night’s events, the turnout of her brothers in the imperial military and obligatorily condemned the rabble who marred an otherwise grand evening. Then Lorna went on to praise the celebrities, the captains-of-industry, and the members of nobility who had come out to support the charity on this evening and thanked them for the considerable volume of their donations. She went on to speak, as the timer of their charity countdown ticked toward zero, of how proud she was of the people of the Empire who had donated, as well. As the clock hit zero, the donations reached an impressive 1,107,684,352 credits donated to the Interstellar Children’s Aid Fund, which received applause from all in attendance.

 

Finally, as the journalists interviewed departing celebrities and luminaries, the young Lord Thorius, his companion, his slave, his personal guard of Mandalorians, and the Imperatrix, departed the Great Botanical Gardens. On the return to the Imperatrix’s fortress, and more particularly to her office, where Shane unlocked the crate and allowed Imperatrix Thorpe to review the corpse of the brother that had abused, defiled, and deceived her.

 

“Good,” she said with a sigh of relief and resolution, “for too long, I lived in the concern that he might come back and assault me, again. It is one reason I pursued extensive combat training, and battled my way to the position of Imperatrix of Uviuy Exen.” Shane had a feeling that she was probably an excellent shot, and potentially dangerous even in close combat, probably as a direct result of her brother’s violent assault on her.

 

“I am glad that we could bring you some measure of peace,” he said as he locked the crate once more, ensuring what it held would remain secret to all but those in the rebellion, and only a finite number of those. It was hers, now, and it would up to her to choose what to do with it, though it would be easy to dispose of it and eliminate all trace of her brother from the galaxy.

 

“For now, we best return to the Valiant and set out on our return voyage to Belazura,” Shane said, and she nodded in answer.

 

“Of course, your Lordship. Again, thank you for your gift,” she said as she escorted them into the hall and motioned to her captain.

 

“Captain Bann, please escort our guest to the hangar bay. He has informed me that family business calls him away, so he and his company must leave at once,” she said, and the Captain nodded. Inside an hour, the Valiant had departed from the atmosphere of Uviuy Exen, and with an imperial escort, headed back to Belazura.


	13. Downtime

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The crew of the Nighthawk has some downtime following their return from the gala.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The masquerade ball masks in this chapter are inspired by the stunningly beautiful work of the artist 'merimask' on deviantART, her masks are magnificent and the Venetian masks inspired this chapter's masks. If you wish to peruse her selection of masks, I strongly encourage it. The masks that have inspired me in this chapter are her Snowflake Mask and her Colombina Del Tempo V5. The masks here aren't completely identical, but that's where I found my inspiration for them.

Once they returned to Belazura, Shane disembarked from the Valiant while their imperial escort broke off to return to hyperspace and to something ‘more important’ than escorting a Colonial nobleman. As the ship departed, the three of them were met by Kazenna, who filled them in on the happenings of the rebellion’s various attacks, they’d lost a few ships and a few dozen people, but they’d achieved something impressive. It proved nice to hear from a friendly face that their plan had been a resounding success, though at the same time, Shane was distracted, and he had something important he needed to do.

 

“It is good to hear that our efforts bore fruit, though I must admit that perhaps we must wait before we hear of more,” Shane said, looking toward his boy and his girl, “A Master has duties that he must attend to, must care for, you see.”

 

  
“Ah, of course,” Kazenna replied as she noticed that his pets both looked anxious, and she realized Shane had promised them a reward of some sort; given that Kayla was present, she resisted the temptation to ask. She was a curious sort, of course, but she restrained her curiosity since what she suspected he meant was not the sort of thing one spoke of in polite company and a proper Lady of the Colonies such as Kayla, certainly constituted ‘polite company,’ rebel or not.

 

“Well, enjoy your afternoon, then,” Kazenna continued, “we can always speak more at dinner, and I must confess that you have had a long trip.” Shane nodded quickly and smiled appreciatively before he led his pets past those gathered, into the halls of the House and then to the quarters he and N’Haru shared with one another. As they approached, they found Jans waiting for them, and when he opened the door, Shane motioned for his girl’s hand-servant to follow him. Jans closed the door behind them once all had entered, turning toward his Lord and waiting for instructions.

 

“All right, strip, slut,” Shane instructed his girl, and she quickly slid out of her clothes, lying them on the bed one at a time, as her Owner looked to Jans, “I want you to take her clothes to be washed and return with fresh clothes for her, of the comfortable and casual variety. Once you’ve brought them here, return to the laundry and once her clothes have dried, return them to her wardrobe.”

 

“Yes, your Lordship,” Jans replied obediently, collecting his Lady’s garments as they were removed, admiring her for a moment once she stood nude before noting the mound of the other slave’s clothes, “a question, my Lord.”

 

“Yes?” asked Shane in answer, his tone relaxed and kind.

 

“Do You wish Your boy’s clothes laundered, as well, my Lord? Or Yours, my Lord?” he asked, and Shane nodded as he started to undress himself, once his girl sat nude on the edge of the bed and as his boy was gently sliding out of his smallclothes. Jans waited patiently, collecting each set of garments, in turn, as they were stripped off, and then carrying them out of the room and down to the washroom to be cleaned.

 

“Are you both ready to receive your rewards, my pets?” he asked, rhetorically, as Jans departed and closed the door. He and his boy were both painfully aroused, and he could see his girl’s slit moistening in anticipation, her nipples hard perhaps also to the point of pain.

 

“I am, Master,” Lora replied submissively, “may I make a request though, Master?”

 

“Yes, you may, bitch,” Shane replied as he approached, kissing her gently on the forehead and running his hands down her body, the body that belonged to him as surely as his own did, cupping her breasts.

 

“May I watch you tend to K’Soku, first, Master?”

 

“You may, slut,” he replied affectionately, motioning N’Haru over to him, his girl leaning forward a bit as her Master knelt, and started to lick and kiss his boy’s cock lovingly, focusing on it.

 

“Mm, Master,” N’Haru moaned softly in pleasure as he contained himself, looking down to see his Master tending to him lovingly, feeling as much as seeing His Tongue sliding up the length of his cock and down again. Shane smiled in satisfaction as he opened his mouth and slipped the tip of his boy’s length into his mouth, rolling his tongue around it before sliding his lips down. His throat bulged a little as his pet’s phallus slid into his throat, swallowing around it as his lips reached the base, then slid up again and withdrew until only the head remained in his mouth. He sucked his boy’s length slowly and firmly, his girl watching her Owner’s cocksucking efforts with rapt attention and tremulous arousal they could both feel radiating from her. It was clear she liked watching a boy suck cock, even if the one sucking cock was her Master.

 

“K’Soku, why is Master going so slowly?”

 

“Master knows I prefer it that way, slut,” N’Haru replied firmly, but not maliciously, “I like slow and firm better than fast and hard, a lot better. I mean they’re both good, obviously, and I’ll never complain about getting my cock sucked, but Master likes to do it the way I like it, since, it’s a reward for me.”

 

“Right,” she nodded in answer, subservient even to her fellow slave, “a reward for Master, too, I think. I mean, you’re delicious.”

 

“Thank you, whore,” N’Haru replied, smiling at his sister-slave affectionately and reaching out to stroke her hair. He didn’t call her it in a nasty tone, just the opposite, really, but it was precisely what she was, nevertheless, and it would have been disingenuous to call her anything else. She was their Master’s whore, His slut; just as N’Haru was, but he was thankful for the distraction of her talking to him. He knew his Master liked doing this for him, enjoyed taking his time as much as N’Haru liked it this way, so he was trying to resist the temptation to release for as long as possible.

 

“You like watching this, don’t you, you little slut?”

 

“I do,” she nodded immediately, watching the firm, plush lips of her Master as they wrapped around that cock, sliding down it sensuously, teaching her how to blow K’Soku, herself.

 

“Play with your nipples, bitch,” N’Haru urged, watching her palms slide obediently up her body and start to twist and pinch her nipples as she watched their Master suck his cock, “Good girl.” Neither of them missed it as she shivered a little in pleasure at the praise, even from her fellow slave it was something she liked to hear.

 

“Master, I’m getting close,” N’Haru said after a couple more minutes of his Master’s Mouth sliding along his cock. His Master moaned lightly in answer, vibrating him teasingly, bringing him close to the brink as Shane reached up to slide fingers into his girl’s hair. He tightened his grip and forcibly pulled her head down until it was close to his own, close to his boy’s prick, as he slid his mouth up the length. He inhaled the sweetness of his boy’s scent before pulling his mouth off and gently forcing Lora’s head onto it, holding her in position as his boy came hard in her mouth. Her eyes fluttered and closed tightly as she felt her mouth fill with the honeysweet seed while her Master slipped fingers around her throat. She swallowed reflexively as her Master squeezed her throat a little then released, swallowing again as he tightened his fingers a second time and then released once more. Fingers slid up his boy’s shaft, squeezing those last drops into her mouth and then fingers of his other hand tightened on her throat once more, feeling her swallowing under them.

 

“Good girl,” Shane praised warmly in her ear as he pulled her gently off his boy’s cock and she looked at him with a bit of a blush.

 

“Master, I…”

 

“I can savour the white nectar whenever I want, slut; you’ve been a very good girl and you deserved a reward,” Shane replied simply before rising to push her back until her back was against the bed. He reached down, pushing her thighs apart as her rump rest near the bed, and he lowered his head toward her hips slowly, to build her anticipation as she propped herself up on her elbows to watch.

 

“Pet, go fetch the lubricant,” Shane ordered, and N’Haru quickly retrieved the lubricant oil, then blushed and nodded as his Master motioned behind him, “Go on. I’ll let you know when you can enter.”

 

“Master, are You going to let K’Soku…”

 

“I am, and I want you to watch, you little slut,” Shane replied, and she nodded as she parted her thighs further and she scooted as close to the edge of the bed as she could, to let her see better. Her back arched with a whimper as she felt her Master’s Tongue touch her for the first time, felt it sliding up and down the outer folds of her most sensitive place as she watched N’Haru’s glistening fingers vanish into their Master’s Rump.

 

“Remember to tell me what you like, bitch,” Shane ordered, and his girl nodded, shivering in arousal as she watched her brother-slave gently but firmly prepping their Owner for his cock, “Faster or slower, harder or gentler, deeper or shallower.” She nodded obediently, shivering in arousal as he continued to lick her, servicing his girl with exactly the same zeal and unreluctance.

 

“F-Faster, Master,” she whimpered softly in pleasure as she watched her brother-slave’s fingers, felt her Master licking her, and shuddered a little as she felt her Master’s Tongue accelerating the movements a little. He’d never done this before, obviously, but he meant to learn how to pleasure her as thoroughly as he had learned to pleasure his boy before her. Her eyes widened and her entire body twitched with arousal as she felt a vibration resonate through her and heard her Master’s Hum enter her as her fellow slave’s cock slid inside their Master.

 

“Mm! Deeper, Master… louder… please,” she whimpered, arching her back as she felt her Master’s Tongue slide into her, beginning to thrust firmly at a moderate pace as His Voice send pleasurable resonations through her. She wasn’t going to last long, she was certain of that much, and she didn’t really want to, he could tell she wanted to get off fast and go back to watch her Master being fucked. Shane licked firmly, sliding his tongue deep into her and learning how she liked it, a little feathery licking to start and then deep into her with some nice vibrations.

 

“Harder, Master,” she whimpered tremulously, and Shane mentally noted her fondness for forcefulness when she was being granted pleasure, and felt her shudder with lust as he learned to tend to her needs. Her hips jerked involuntarily against his mouth as her Master fucked her with his tongue, a blush staining her cheeks as she felt him penetrating her with the warm, malleable muscle.

 

“Master, I’m…”

 

“Release, bitch,” N’Haru ordered, and she relaxed and let herself go, feeling the unfamiliar sensation of a mouth firmly pressed against her and swallowing, felt her Master drinking from her. Her breathing grew heavy as she released into her Owner’s Mouth, felt her Master’s lack of hesitation as he tended to his girl’s needs affectionately, and whimpered in pleasure as she felt His Tongue rubbing deep inside her. She realized he was making sure he had missed nothing, and sighed in relaxation as she felt his tongue slide out while she continued to watch her brother-slave’s hard cock as it slid in and then out again.

 

“Master, may I…?” she began, as he withdrew from her hips, and nodded up to her. Quickly, she slid out from in front of him and watched her Master’s arms fold across the edge of the bed, moving hurriedly into a position where she was kneeling beside them. She watched with rapt attention and arousal as she watched the grey shaft slide into her Master in a slow and steady way, and realized that her brother-slave must have greatly favoured this pace, as he was capable of going fast and hard, but wasn’t. Even as she watched, N’Haru pushed into his Master and closed his eyes, a sigh of relief emanating from his mouth and throat as he released. As he withdrew, Shane arched his back and released a soft groan of pleasure himself, as the only cock that would ever receive his attention slid from his ass.

 

“Good boy,” he praised, then looked toward his girl with a smirk at her arousal, turning to pull her up once more and kissing her gently on the lips, “And now for your second turn at pleasure, my pet.” She smiled as he laid her down on the bed before moving on top of her, her thighs spreading submissively before a soft murmur of pleasure passed from her lips as she felt him slide inside of her moistened channel.

 

“Master, may I make a request?” she asked, and he nodded gently.

 

“Of course you may, pet,” he answered, applying the same force with his hips as he had with his mouth as he pressed to the hilt inside of her and smirked a little in self-satisfaction as he felt a faint emanation of pleasure from her body.

 

“You remember what I had requested, Lord Thorius?” she asked, and Shane nodded a little bit in answer to her query.

 

“Are you sure you would want that, knowing what you know now, My girl?”

 

“I am sure, Master,” she replied affirmatively and without hesitation, “you may not be a nobleman, but You are most undoubtedly _my_ Lord, and it would be an honour.” He nodded a bit, he knew there would be ways to use it to benefit rebel intelligence, of course, but that was only a secondary concern: if she didn’t genuinely want a child, he would not press it upon her. Given her assurance and the fact that she’d been looking to Laine Thorius for a pregnancy anyway, however, he felt comfortable in taking her word for it.

 

“You realize, of course, it may not occur on the first try,” Shane warned, and his pet simply nodded as she felt his hips slide back and then press into her once more, “and you will of course need to be cautious in ensuring that Jans doesn’t father the child, or my boy.” She nodded her understanding quickly for that.

 

“Of course, and I shall exercise caution with K’Soku and Jans, naturally,” she replied, and he nodded a bit in response before sliding back and beginning to get into a firm rhythm, hard and deep, but not fast. Her body arched and told him what he needed to know, as he listened to the sound of her soft moans vibrating the air, and motioned N’Haru around.

 

“All right, boy, muffle this little slut,” he instructed, kissing her lips before watching his boy’s grey shaft slide inside her moaning lips, nudging down the volume as N’Haru started gently, slowly pumping his length into her mouth and down her throat. Shane smiled up at his boy and nodded as he picked up the pace, fucking his girl faster and harder, listening to the humming on N’Haru’s prick and reading the emanations of pleasure that radiated off her to his Force sensitivity. He waited until he found the exact point her moans and empathic radiations told him was best for her, and maintained that as he sated both of their needs together. Shane could tell by the fluctuations up and down in the volume of her moans around N’Haru’s cock, when he had reached an innermost part that was highly sensitive. As he did, he slowed and pressed more firmly, heightening her pleasure to grant her release even as he forestalled his own to better satisfy his pet’s needs.

 

Even as N’Haru continued to arch his back and press down her throat, her fingers clung to her Master’s body firmly, her legs twining around his the first time she came with him inside her. For nearly forty minutes, he was able to hold back his own release to bring her to the edge over and over, exhausting her sexually before he let his seed flow inside her as her hand-servant returned with clean, fresh clothes. When he at last withdrew from her, she relaxed underneath him and he smiled as he slipped off her, watching her throat contract tightly and knew his boy was releasing down her throat as he moved off the bed.

 

N’Haru squeezed the final drops of his release out onto her tongue before sliding out of her mouth fully, watching as she swallowed and then took a breath of relaxation, her eyes shut for the moment as she reclined on the bed. As Jans laid out her clothes for her, Shane nodded toward her, and Jans smiled appreciatively before moving around the bed, unzipping and unbuttoning his pants and slipping them over his hips when he came to a stop in front of her. He lowered his hands, cupping her head on either side before pushing his cock inside her mouth and beginning to fuck her throat firmly. Her eyes flickered open for a moment before closing as Jans’ balls swayed lightly, slapping her eyelids a bit, as he started to pump his cock hard and fast into her throat. He sighed softly in pleasure as his hands slid to her breasts, cupping them and pinching her nipples hard as he hammered into her throat, and Shane could see the contractions of his girl’s throat, and knew she was servicing him once more.

 

“That’s right you little slut, suck his cock,” Shane encouraged, before motioning his boy and leaving the room to allow Jans to fuck her freely while they showered.

 

“Mm… suck it, you little whore,” Jans growled as he skull-fucked her relentlessly, feeling her tongue caress his shaft as it slammed down her throat repeatedly. She was sucking him hard, taking it to the hilt without hesitation as she let her hand-servant use her for his own pleasure, as her Master had instructed. Her back arched and breasts splayed out, as he pressed to the hilt and released in her throat then withdrew, letting her muscle contractions drain him before his cock left her throat. He was quick to stow his cock in his pants, zipping and buttoning once more, before buckling his belt and excusing himself. By the time Shane and N’Haru were done bathing, Jans was gone, the moistened bedding with him, as Lora waited for her turn to wash, which she took quickly once her Master and fellow slave were finished.

  

* * *

 

 

For the next few short weeks, it seemed as if the galaxy remained strangely silent, as if the calm before a great storm, or standing in the eye of a hurricane. They made good use of the time, though, as they found someone with the rebellion who was skilled at dancing and could teach both Shane and his boy how to do such dances. It could, at any point, turn out to be important for N’Haru to be able to dance, and the training felt to Shane as if it had surprising potential combat application, an estimation that Kazenna agreed with when he asked her. The experience was new for both young men as well as their mentor, but the zabrak was never one to shy away from new kinds of training that could help her excel on the battlefield. Lora, of course, was already familiar with ballroom dancing, and was able to aid the instructor that had been sent by Alliance Intelligence, though she allowed them to take the lead for obvious reasons. She also revealed that she liked seeing her Master and his boy dancing together, another thing they practiced, and even the rebel officer observed that the two of them danced better together than anyone he’d ever seen before.

 

Once he knew how to dance, however, it made him want to explore the possibility of putting that knowledge to good purpose, and so he approached Kazenna with an idea for rebel intelligence. He proposed that because a large number of imperial troops had died the last time Laine Thorius had made a public appearance, perhaps Laine should now make at least a couple public appearances during which none died. Rebel intelligence found the idea to have potential merit, to be worth investigating, or rather worth supporting him in regards to, at the minimum. Then it was a simple matter of sending his girl to the planet of Denon, where she could use her knowledge of social manoeuvring and the chance to make a good impression on a suddenly prominent young Colonial Lord.

 

When Lora returned, she came to her Master immediately to report that she had inspired a young Lord from the Inner Rim named Delis Kalan to host a masquerade ball.

 

“He will be hosting it in about three weeks, Master, so we have time to prepare and time for tailoring and getting the necessary masks for a masquerade event,” she said. Shane nodded as he considered what kind of mask and outfit he wanted, what kind of mask and outfit he wanted to put his girl in, and realized he had an excuse to put his boy in some nicer clothes, as well. If Lord Laine Thorius were to grace a bunch of Inner Rim nobles with his presence, then even his slave should appear in the style one would expect from nobles of superior rank in the galactic hierarchy. It might have been a little ostentatious, but that was also something rebel intelligence agreed lesser nobility from the Inner Rim might expect of their betters, and it wouldn’t hurt to start a trend.

 

Of course, putting his boy into a fine mask would not be an option, but he was happy to take the opportunity to ensure his pets both had nice clothes. He wanted to make a statement, as well, though, and so he decided that his girl wouldn’t be in a dress the way she always was. As they arrived at the store that sold masks of the sort worn to masquerade balls, he perused the aisles with slow strolling steps that carried that lordly air he was learning to be comfortable maintaining. He was getting accustomed to it, starting to like the idea of being a lord and the way it made people look at him when he was undercover as Lord Laine Thorius. Of course, it did have the downside of having to act like an imperious ass, but the respect that he got was a novel experience, the respect even his slave was shown was a novel experience. On Bpfassh, they hadn’t been shown any respect at all: as orphaned street urchins, they were considered about on par with lesser rodents. Even some of the less noxious rats had been considered preferable to them by most of the people of the middle class and above.

 

“I think this one will look quite nice,” he said as he paused and picked up a white mask that looked like a snowflake, accented with silver filigree and rims around the eyes. It wasn’t actual silver, but it was silver-coloured, and sparkled metallically in the light as he examined it, with a sapphire-coloured diamond shape on the forehead. It would cover his entire upper face, down to the end of the bridge of his nose; wearing it would mean a light-coloured outfit for the ball, which would be easy enough. As he perused further, he found a lovely mask that was cream-coloured with golden accents, and white rims around each eye, as wide as the one he had selected for himself but shorter from top to bottom, it wouldn’t completely obscure her hair. It would mean putting her in something shimmery and gold-accented cream, but he thought she would look quite phenomenal in that.

 

When it came time for the tailor, he chose a sheer fabric of a chromatic gold colouration, ordering a bust-to-knee item with legs rather than a skirt. He selected a veil-like fabric of glittering, metallic cream colour but transparent, and he instructed the tailor to combine it with the gold as a sleeveless layer over the gold, to run from collar to calf. Even as his girl waited and listened, Shane added in a cream-coloured fabric that was solid, instructing the tailor to make ankle-height socks and elbow-length gauntlets to round out the ensemble.

 

“It sounds lovely, my Lord, but…” started his girl, before silencing herself when he motioned gently for her to hush.

 

“We will acquire a pair of dress shoes for you as well, perhaps with a three-centimetre heel; present, but modest to the point that you can wear it comfortably for several hours,” Shane replied, and she nodded, as he proceeded to resume a perusal of the fabrics.

 

“Your Lordship, have you additional orders to make?” asked the tailor, and Shane nodded.

 

“I do. I will require fresh garments for myself, of course, and I will need something to allow my slave to be presentable in a way that says, ‘I belong to someone better than you.’ My slave should look the part of one who is possessed by a person of my station, wouldn’t you agree?”

 

“Of course, my Lord, of course!” answered the tailor immediately, and Shane nodded a bit imperiously in response to his obsequious agreement, tossing in a faint smirk to round out the ‘occasionally arrogant nobleman’ cover.

 

“I think this fabric will do nicely for my slave,” he said, selecting a solid black fabric that was a handsome matte, not glittery or shiny, “naturally, his garments must be made with comfort as a priority. I cannot have his movements being impeded in a way that would diminish his ability to comply with my commands.”

 

“Your Lordship makes an excellent observation,” the tailor observed with a thoughtful nod of professional agreement. Someone expected to work couldn’t do so in clothing that inhibited their movement, after all.

 

“He’ll require ankle-length pants, of course, a black belt of braided leather with a proper titanium buckle, a vest of the same fabric, and,” he trailed off for a moment, finding a nice white fabric, “a half-sleeved dress shirt having buttons of a black colouration.” At his words, the tailor nodded and marked things down, looking up through a pair of steel-rimmed glasses with oval-shaped lenses.

 

“Excellent choice, Your Lordship, Your property will announce the moment he steps in, _I am the possession of a Lord, and you, are in the presence of greatness_ ,” the tailor assured him unctuously, and Shane offered an affirmative nod, before he resumed his search for the appropriate fabrics for himself.

 

“Now, for myself, I shall need ankle-length pants and a shirt with half-length sleeves in this fabric,” he said, selecting a white fabric, “it must be silver-accented, so silver-coloured buttons on the shirt would be ideal. A jacket of white is also necessary, silver-accented in the same manner as the shirt.”

 

“Your Lordship will make a sublime statement,” the tailor agreed as he wrote everything down, then looked up to the young local Lord, once more, “I will need to take measurements of Your Lordship, Your Lady, and Your slave, that I may ensure proper fitting.” Shane nodded and snapped his fingers, looking toward his pet with a light jerk of his chin.

 

“Strip, slave,” he ordered, and N’Haru quickly undressed himself, stripping bare in a couple minutes’ time while the tailor retrieved his measuring tape. He was a bit surprised to see the slave standing nude for the measurements, he had likely not meant he needed them to undress to the skin, just enough to allow proper measurements to be taken without clothing doing something misleading.

 

“Ah, I… wow,” stuttered the tailor as he moved around and then noticed the fineness of the Bpfassh male’s endowment as he was about to start taking his measurements. He cleared his throat and then hastened to work, taking and writing down the individual numbers as he made certain the clothes would be what would be defined as ‘comfort-fit.’ It took a few minutes, especially once the youngish tailor, who was in his late twenties, crouched to measure N’Haru’s legs, waist, hips, and so forth.

 

“You… ah, you may dress, now,” he said with a swallow as N’Haru stepped back and promptly stepped back into his pants and smallclothes, pulling them up where he zipped and buttoned the pants then buckled the belt. The tailor had also measured the Bpfassh’s feet, looking toward the young Lord as soon as he was done.

 

“Does your Lordship wish new shoes for your slave, as well? I have measured his feet, and can measure Yours as well as Your Lady’s, and send the measurements and colour specifics to the shoemaker,” he said, and Shane nodded calmly in answer. It was an excellent suggestion, and Shane felt as if even Lord Laine Thorius would have been satisfied with the idea enough to approve it.

 

“Yes. His shoes should have soles that will ensure stable footing, some of which I would prefer in my own shoes and in the shoes of my vassal,” Shane replied, and the man nodded, chronicling the instructions down respectfully, quickly.

 

“Understood, Your Lordship,” the tailor replied quickly, looking up, “Also, Your Lordship needn’t undress as totally as You had Your slave undress, for my measurements, and nor must Your Lady-vassal.” Shane caught a hint of arousal and desire from the man, and he let his lips curve slightly in answer, realizing the man might have been bisexual, and it certainly explained his stammering reaction to N’Haru’s nudity.

 

“Thank you, tailor,” Shane answered the tailor with a nod, and then gestured for his girl to go to the tailor, “Undress, Lora.” She swallowed a little shyly but then quickly nodded and stripped down to her lingerie, permitting the tailor to measure her every aspect, a familiar experience though a little nerve-wracking somewhere as glorious as Belazura had always been in her mind. Shane could tell his girl was still exuberant to be actually in the Colonies, as high in society as she had ever dreamt or imagined herself to reach. He could sense a hint more arousal as the tailor examined her and measured her body’s every dimension, until she was able to redress, as well.

 

“Your Lordship?” came the question, and Shane nodded as he walked over and removed his clothes, stripping down to only his smallclothes, and stepping up to stand on a small stepstool where he could be measured. He sensed a spike in the man’s desire as the noticeably older male started the measurements, of his neck and his arms, of his chest and stomach. The man was definitely interested in men and women equally, and the man had fine taste in both of those if he found the young Lord and both of his possessions to be desirable. As the man lowered, his eyes hovered on Shane’s hips and the bulge in his smallclothes for a moment before he swallowed and refocused, measuring the young Lord’s waist and hips, measuring down his legs and then measuring his feet. Shane stepped down and his boy passed him his pants, which Shane slid into as the man was marking down all the measurements.

 

“Thank You, Your Lordship,” the man said as he cleared his throat. Shane had to assume the man did not experience arousal at every customer, it would’ve been a self-torturous career choice if he did, which meant the man was expressly interested in Lord Thorius and those Lord Thorius travelled with.

 

“I look forward to what you and the shoemaker are able to produce for us,” Shane replied just slightly more warmly, the tailor looking up and making eye contact that was followed by a blush and a furtive shift of his eyes to the paper, away from the comely young Lord.

 

“Your Lordship honours me with Your patronage; You shall receive my best work, Your Lordship,” the man answered subserviently, “does Your Lordship have any further instructions for the garments?”

 

“I do,” Shane said once he was fully redressed, pulling out the masks he had purchased earlier, and placing them onto the countertop the man stood behind, “the Lady’s garments should blend well with this, and my own should go nicely with this. My slave has no mask that need be matched; as a slave, naturally, he won’t be participating in the masquerade element of the ball, but as I said…”

 

“He must show all the signs that he belongs to nobility of your esteem, that none should assume that he is there to take the orders of simply anyone,” the tailor replied, and Shane nodded with faint haughtiness.

 

“Precisely; he is to be an object of great desire, something that compels them to envy that I am able to grace even my slave with clothes as nice as they would wear, themselves,” he answered with well-feigned imperious lordliness. The tailor’s desire never wavered, though, which suggested to Shane that the man didn’t care how haughty Lord Thorius was, he wanted him anyway.

 

“Now, then, tailor… what is your name?”

 

“M-my name, Your Lordship?” came the stammered response, then a quick cough as he recovered and answered, “my name is Nathus Virmulo, Your Lordship.”

“Well, Nathus,” Shane said, pronouncing his name with the same long-A sound as the man used himself, “you have demonstrated excellent service, today. I will reward this with two hundred credits as a tip for your fantastic demeanour. How much will the complete order come to?”

 

The man tallied for a minute or two, tapping the keys for a few minutes on his touchscreen, before coming to a solution that seemed to be satisfactory to him. His eyes returned to the young Lord’s, still a bit shy and reluctant in spite of, or perhaps because of, how the young nobleman focused on him.

 

“It will be… sixteen thousand four hundred credits, Your Lordship; sixteen thousand six hundred credits if to include the mentioned gratuity,” he replied, and Shane nodded, tapping through and authorizing the 16,600 credit deduction, “I will notify the shoemaker of your order for him, and he will be ready with an estimate for You in a few moments. His shoppe is right over there.” At the last part, he motioned across the street to the shoemaker’s shoppe, which bore a name on it that read _Orlen Daughtry_.

 

“Thank you, tailor Virmulo,” Shane said with a courteously lordly tone, then led his boy and his girl out and across to the shoemaker. Orlen informed that the price for the three sets of footwear would be around nine hundred credits, and Shane paid that expense easily enough, as well. The shoemaker was an older man, grey of hair and red of cheek, a bit on the round side, which suggested prosperity, a comfortable life and a healthy appetite, all of which surely admirable traits in anyone. On their return to the Thorius Statehouse, Shane allowed himself to be distracted once more by dance classes and lightsaber training in a converted storeroom. Kazenna had started training them, there, in how to handle it when they were being targeted by barrages of blaster fire, teaching Shane deflection and teaching N’Haru to block it with a combination of staff movement and tutaminis.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you're wondering where the Bpfasshi crew went, and Kazenna, don't worry, they're still there. You can expect to see them in Chapter 15 as we get back into the swing of more action, there's just some James Bonding that's gotta go on first!


	14. Masquerade

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Shane, N'Haru, and Lora travel to the planet Denon to attend a masquerade ball, where Shane encounters a deadly new foe at the unlikeliest of moments...

It turned out that Nathus was indeed an inspired tailor, at least that was Shane’s opinion, as he stood and reviewed the concluded order once his pets were both dressed to model for him. For her part, Lora’s outfit consisted of a sheer base that looked as if it were woven of polished gold under a glittering veil with carefully embroidered lines of matching chromatic gold colour. Per his request, the tailor had ensured the base went from about three centimetres above her nipples to about two centimetres above her knees, while the veil clung to her shoulders and draped sparkling down to the middle of her calves. The stockings and gauntlets glittered with the metallic cream fabric and her new short-heeled shoes shimmered and shone like wrought gold, precisely as he had envisioned they should.

 

“I would tell you that you look quite lovely, My girl, but it would be nothing new; so I will simply say, the clothes do justice to the beauty already present,” Shane said. He had a way with words, when he wanted to, especially with rebel intelligence drilling it into his head that Colonial Lords and Outer Rim street urchins did not share many of the same colloquialisms or speaking habits. His boy seemed pleased with some elements of the transformation, and especially all the new words flowing into their lexicons, and tolerant of the haughtiness of his Master’s undercover identity and his associated need to deal with it.

 

“You, My boy,” he said, turning his attention toward N’Haru, for whom fancy words such as ‘dapper,’ ‘debonair,’ or ‘spruce’ would now certainly apply, “are as gorgeous as ever, and it is nice to see you in something more comfortably elegant. Do you like it?” N’Haru took a moment to stretch and test his reach and inhibitions before he nodded, as he stood in the simple black attire that his Master had ordered for him. Between the braided black leather of the belt with the titanium buckle, the black pants and vest, and the black-buttoned white dress shirt, he found his boy to be almost irresistible.

 

“I do, Master, though I feel a bit like one of the suited rat-monkeys we heard are on Tirahnn,” came the vocal response, accompanied by a deadpan expression and a faint hint of a head-tilt, “It is very comfortable, however, and undisruptive to my range of motion. I think I could certainly get to enjoy wearing this… when I have no permissible alternatives.”

 

“Good enough,” Shane said, motioning to let his pets disrobe while he tested his own garments, noting with satisfaction that the white fabric of the pants and jacket had a hint of silver accentuation, tasteful and not excessive. The lining of the jacket was sapphire silk, visible only when he removed it but that was acceptable since he was likely to remove it as soon as he was inside. The shirt had silver buttons as requested, with a hint of sapphire trim around the collar and hem, while a tasteful silver filigree decorated the shirt down the centre of the chest around the buttons, and at each of his elbows at the cuff of each half-sleeve. He felt as if he looked fanciful and stylish yet modern and comfortable, all at once, and he was quite satisfied with the result, and the amount of skin he would be able to reveal.

 

“Well, pets, what do you think?”

 

“You are quite stunning, Master,” N’Haru said lovingly, and Lora nodded her concurrence.

 

“You are even lovelier to behold than the day we met, Master,” she replied. She had thought him quite attractive then, and he looked even better now to her eye. He could tell it was the socialite in her; she couldn’t help the fact that she’d been born and raised in privilege and it informed how she looked at things. She had moved past it, however, when she had chosen to become the consensual slave of someone she knew to be an orphaned street-urchin, however.

 

“Thank you,” Shane said, as he regarded himself, feeling quite pleased with the attire, before stripping it off to don comfortable attire and packing his new garments gingerly, “No need for us to dress fancifully while we’re on our way, of course. Are you all packed, boy? Girl?” As he queried, his slaves nodded rapidly in answer, and indicated they were prepared to leave the statehouse to be en-route to Denon.

 

“Excellent,” Shane said, “Let’s head to the hangar and set out, then.” As he spoke, Lora moved close, picking up her Master’s light suitcase in her free hand while holding her own in the other. He was a little surprised by the initiative, but he smiled and stroked her hair lovingly, kissing her on the cheek.

 

“Good girl,” he praised, then led his pets to the hangar bay, where he bade farewell to Lady Thorius as a young man might bid farewell to his mother before going to a party, then said goodbye to his mentor and the Nighthawk crew yet again. Once the Mandalorian squad Laine Thorius was now somewhat known for travelling with were a board and set to leave, he motioned his pets aboard and then boarded last. At least Denon would be a short trip, and without imperial escort, he and his slaves would have no need to abstain from their intimate relations.

 

The trip still took a few short days, though nowhere near the weeks it took to get to Uviuy Exen without straining the engines. It gave their host plenty of time to prepare the site of the masquerade, however, which would undoubtedly be of some importance, as he would want to impress when he learned that Lord Laine Thorius was coming.

 

The first thing they saw was, as one might expect, the hangar bay being used by the visiting luminaries not resident to Denon. Shane affixed his mask, straightened his girl’s mask and his boy’s shirt and vest, opened the door, and then strode down the boarding ramp with his Mandalorian Guard, into a presently unoccupied hangar bay. There were, of course, many shuttles here – in the mindset of a young Lord of the Colonies, Shane was pleased to note that the Valiant was the grandest and most visible vessel to be seen therein. His Mandalorian Guard accompanied him, then, on a short trip by way of a luxury speeder to the landing pad of the place where the celebration had already come underway. His presence had ensured a glittering assemblage when Lord Kalan had announced that he had confirmed that a member of the Colonial Nobility would be in attendance, and in particular, that that member would be Lord Laine Thorius.

 

“Priority Guest arriving, Lord Kalan,” their pilot announced into the communications, and received an affirmation in response.

 

“Hold position for 3 minutes, then land,” Lord Kalan instructed over the communications systems. Looking out of the window of the luxury speeder, Shane observed the landing pad being subtly cleared and the windows losing the normal transparency. It suggested clearly that Lord Kalan had devised a plan by which to mask the arrival of the nobleman of the Colonies, so that Lord Thorius could enjoy the experience of a masquerade ball without being immediately known. As the allotted time came, the pilot lowered onto the landing pad, the door opened, and the Mandalorian Guard swept out with the grace of military precision. A decagon of armoured and war-readied Mandalorians formed around the rim of the landing pad, clear indication of the presence of a Colonial Lord if anyone had been present to observe it, before the young Lord himself appeared. He strode with a learned lordly smoothness, trailed by a naturally unmasked slave and a masked companion of the female persuasion, a relaxed stroll bringing him to the doors that would bring him in.

 

“Slave, remain here for two minutes and then enter by way of the main entrance,” Shane instructed, and N’Haru gave an obedient nod, before Shane and Lora proceeded down a lovely hall, around a corner, and entered the ballroom from separate points. It made it appear as if Shane was someone other than the guest of honour as he moved into the ballroom and almost casually joined the dance. He noted his girl doing the same, blending beautifully into the crowd even while remaining utterly visible as something perhaps ever so slightly more than the rest. In the interim, a handful of others arrived, likewise masked and arriving through the main doors instead of side doors, perhaps wanting to appear more important than they were for just a few minutes. Finally, the doors opened and the Bpfassh servant entered dressed in as much finery as some of the guests yet still obviously a servant. There was a lull in the music, a hushed whispering passing through the nobility of the Inner Rim as they waited for the appearance of the Colonial Lord, but soon realized he would not be announcing himself so blithely, or at least, not yet. The dance continued for a few minutes longer and then ended smoothly, as a finely dressed man a black shirt with gold-coloured buttons and golden embroidery having a filigree design, moved to a position where he could be seen easily. He wore black pants, a braided black leather belt with a gold-coloured buckle and matching ankle-boots with gold-coloured laces.

 

Shane could only assume the man was Lord Delis Kalan, despite not knowing the man’s face and the fact it was also covered, for the moment at least, in a black mask with gold-coloured filigree. He removed the mask, revealing a light-skinned face with hair and irises of zinnwaldite brown, so dark they were damned near black but still just faintly able to be distinguished as brown. The man was about one hundred seventy-five and a quarter centimetres and eighty and three-quarter kilograms, according to the file on him rebel intelligence had compiled, placing him at roughly the same height as N’Haru and Lora. He would be just short enough to need to tilt his head the slightest bit upward to make eye contact with Lord Laine Thorius, which was perhaps also fortuitous.

 

“My Lords, my Ladies, honoured guests, as you may have noticed, the slave of our guest of honour, Lord Thorius of Belazura, has arrived. The implication, of course, is clear, a Lord of the Colonies stands within our midst, accompanied perhaps by the beauteous vassal he chose from amidst our brethren in the Outer Rim,” Lord Kalan started. Shane was not sure if the man was more progressive and simply didn’t look down his nose at nobility from the Outer Rim, more comfortable accepting that Lady Caine’s station had skyrocketed, or better at concealing it in the interest of avoiding upsetting a Lord of the Colonies.

 

“Now before you ask, I, myself, have not yet seen or spoken with His Lordship of Belazura, nor do I know the nature of his mask or attire,” Lord Kalan continued, “However, I would propose a small bit of sport, a contest if you will, in his Lordship’s honour. If, once our mysterious guest of honour has been found, he would be agreeable to the matter, I propose that whoever correctly identifies His Lordship should earn the privilege of a dance with him, and whosoever should correctly identify his vassal, should earn the privilege of a dance with her Ladyship. In the interest of fairness, I shall take the first guess, while the greatest number of guests remain yet masked; but be aware, each of us should get only two guesses: one at His Lordship, and one toward his Lady.” This was met with a small round of applause; it was certainly an interesting thought, as Lord Kalan strolled cautiously through a sea of masks, of handsome costumes, and of attractive dresses. He passed Shane without slowing, though, and selected a man who identified himself as being a member of the nobility on Wroona, and then selected a woman who identified herself as being a noblewoman hailing from Mechis III. A few people made selections in turn, all missing both Lord Thorius and Lady Caine in the process, before a Lady Nel Orlus of Renillis, whose mask had been a dark silver colour with a matching ankle-length dress to complement it.

 

“Congratulations, Lady Orlus! You have correctly found his Lordship’s companion, the esteemed Lady Caine of the respectable planet of Denab in the Outer Rim, and earned the honour of a dance with her Ladyship, should his Lordship consent to it,” Lord Kalan praised. He had returned to a position from whence he could see everyone in the room, who had separated between those unmasked who had taken their guesses, and those masked who had not yet been selected to reveal their identity.

 

“Now that her Ladyship has been identified, Ladies, please remove your masks and introduce yourselves, and then we may focus on determining which of the remaining gentlemen is Lord Thorius,” Lord Kalan said, noticing the fact that there were about a hundred men remaining, standing about casually. It was entirely possible every woman would use up her guess before Lord Thorius was identified, which then begged the question of if Lord Thorius would be asked to dance with a man. Shane could sense his nervousness, though his eyebrows furrowed and he squinted faintly, tilting his head slightly as he felt a brush of something else in the room. A darker presence, a challenging presence, though it bore a strange absence of hostility at this moment, like a jungle cat lounging around on a rock in the sun instead of prowling on the hunt.

 

As the women selected the one they thought might be Lord Thorius, Shane caught sight of a small woman that looked as if she was only a bit more than a hundred forty-seven centimetres and a little under forty-eight kilograms in weight. She was clad in a glittering black dress, with slits down either side from just below her hips to the lower hem at the middle of her calves which went up to about two centimetres below her underarms. The woman had hair and eyes of zaffre blue accenting a skin tone having a sort of creamy pallor, her hair in a shoulder-length braid. He could sense Force-sensitivity in her, though as she neared she selected someone else, who identified himself as a Lord from Vaklin, before a dozen more men were selected by Ladies hoping to make a good impression by being the one that found him. He wouldn’t be the last one picked, but when someone did finally select him, it was from a field that had narrowed to twenty-two gentlemen. Shane offered a lordly smile to the man who now stood in front of him, a Lord noticeable in that he was several centimetres shorter than Shane was. At somewhere around one hundred sixty-seven and a half centimetres and perhaps seventy-two and a half kilograms, he was slight by comparison to the younger Lord Thorius.

 

“A pleasure to make Your acquaintance, my Lord,” the adorable twenty-year-old greeted; Shane could as easily sense the subservience emanating from him as he could hear it in his voice, as the young man looked up at him. He had light yellow hair in an elbow-length ponytail and eyes of shimmering apple green, bowing submissively and inspiring every other in the room to mirror the movement reflexively in the presence of a nobleman of superior rank. Shane smirked a little, covering the fact that that was still disconcerting with a feigned smug satisfaction at the submission en-masse.

 

“Allow me to introduce myself, my Lord; my name is Hollis Zaer, from the planet Tirahnn,” he introduced, and Shane offered him a reassuring smile.

 

“You travelled quite some distance to attend, you must have had very short notice to be able to attend,” he replied, to which Hollis nodded quickly.

 

“Yes, my Lord, but when I knew that Your Lordship would be here, well, the opportunity was too excellent to miss,” he answered, and Shane suspected that was the truth for a fair number of those present. Some of them had crossed the better part of the galaxy, at least one of the lords had mentioned coming from Reecee. Another had introduced himself as originating from Myrkr, which was about as far from Denon as one could get and still be in the Inner Rim.

 

“Congratulations, Lord Hollis Zaer, you have earned the honour of a dance with His Lordship, if you desire and if His Lordship is inclined to grant you the privilege, of course,” Lord Kalan said, a bit of nervous energy emanating off him in the process. Shane could sense the dark presence of the woman, who had been introduced when the mask came off as being Lady Sira Novali, of the nearby Expansion Region planet of Baroli. His eyes remained on those of the youthful Lord Hollis Zaer, however, as the man looked up at him with a smile suddenly somewhat shy.

 

“Your Lordship,” their host said as he approached, extending a hand, which Shane took, shaking firmly, “A pleasure to see you at my humble gathering, I am your host, this evening, your Lordship; Delis Kalan, of Denon.”

 

“An excellent collection of the nobility of the Inner Rim, Delis,” Shane greeted in answer.

 

“Thank you, your Lordship. Naturally, I will understand if you do not wish to be seen dancing with a man, or do not wish your vassal to be seen dancing with another woman,” he said, and Shane sensed a twinge of disappointment from the younger of the two nobles before him, though he covered it up well.

 

“No, no,” Shane said, waving a hand dismissively to the idea, “your sport was offered in good fun. Lady Caine, would you be amenable to dancing with Lady Orlus?” His girl nodded to him with the subservience to him that one logically expected a greater lord’s vassal to demonstrate, and eyes switched soon to Lady Orlus, to see if she would agree to it.

 

“Your Lordship, this way, please,” Delis said, leading him to the raised section where he could see all and direct all, with Hollis trailing to wait on the promised dance, “Hollis, do you wish to take up our Lord on his offer?”

 

“Absolutely,” Hollis answered immediately, “I mean, His Lordship graces us with his honoured presence. It would be rude to answer his gracious attendance by refusing to dance with His Lordship if His Lordship should wish for such.”

 

“Your Lordship?” asked Delis, motioning toward the small orchestra that had been selected for the event, and Shane nodded, before selecting something upbeat and swift, similar to the ‘Paso Doble.’ The atmosphere of fun seemed like it might have had an unusual effect on Lady Novali, who put on a brave face though she seemed unsatisfied in being there. He could only wonder what she was about, wonder who and what she was, but as the orchestra started to play, he like everyone turned his attention to watching as the two women danced. Despite her superior birth rank, it seemed as if Lady Orlus had elected that Lady Caine would dance the role of the man and would lead, allowing herself to melt into it in the interests of making a good impression on one of the Lords of Belazura.

 

He watched his girl dominate her on the dancefloor, watched as she handled and controlled Lady Orlus’ body firmly, and sensed hints of shame and arousal from Lady Orlus. It solicited a faint smirk of amusement from Shane’s lips to know his girl was turning the woman on regardless of whether or not Lady Orlus wanted to be turned on by dancing with another woman in public. As the dance ended, her breathing was heavier than his girl’s, there was the slightest hint of perspiration on the Lady’s skin, as she curtsied alongside his girl before approaching.

 

“Your Lordship, a pleasure to make Your acquaintance,” the Lady greeted as she caught her breath, breasts contained in a violet dress that went from her underarms to her thighs heaving just slightly even still.

 

“A pleasure to make yours as well, Lady Nel Orlus,” Shane greeted, and she smiled appreciatively, thankful to find the Colonial Lord knew her name. She was black-haired and silver-eyed, slimmer than his girl in a way he didn’t quite like and he had a niggling sensation in his mind that she did not eat as well as she could have certainly afforded, and about a centimetre shorter than his girl.

 

“I can see that you much enjoyed your dance with my vassal. Lora, please escort Nel to the dining hall and see that she takes a proper serving to recover her energies. Also, make sure she has the proper channels to contact my secretary at the statehouse,” he instructed and Lora nodded. Nel, satisfied that she had made a fine impression, was delighted by the idea of setting down and having something to eat; he hoped she would eat enough, as he realized that the society of nobility was perhaps even more complicated than he’d previously envisioned. All eyes soon returned to him, once his vassal had departed, and Shane looked toward his male dance companion thoughtfully, before one eyebrow lifted mischievously and a smirk curved his lips.

 

He motioned for the young Lord to move to the dancefloor, where abundant room was cleared for them, then instructed the orchestra to play something that bore a striking similarity to the samba. Once he moved into position and the music started, he took the lead as was his right as the ranking nobleman, and felt the lesser nobleman’s heartbeat, felt Hollis all but radiating his submission as he melted into Shane’s arms. He led, and Hollis followed as subserviently as could have been hoped, adopting the woman’s position in the dance without reluctance or complaint. As the dance concluded and Shane held Hollis close, their lips scant centimetres apart and green eyes shimmering up at him, Shane smiled and then drew back, releasing him. Hollis bowed immediately to express his gratitude, and as Lora returned, Shane made a summoning gesture that brought her to him promptly.

 

“Lora, see that Hollis is seated for me, give him the key to my private communication channel, and see to it he should eat well,” Shane instructed, and his girl nodded submissively. He could feel emanations of elation radiating from the other young man to know he’d made an even better impression on Lord Thorius than Lady Orlus had made, receiving a more direct line to the young Lord from Belazura. For a few dances further the dancing continued, though the guest of honour did not dance in these, save for an animated and sensuous dance with Lady Caine that mirrored the one he had done with Lord Zaer.

 

Finally, after nearly an hour of dances that were usually slow, aside the break for all when Lord Thorius chose to have a dance with his vassal and they all watched, Lord Kalan clapped his hands loudly.

 

“All right, ladies and gentlemen, Lord Thorius has decided that he shall dance one last time, and that we should then proceed to the dining hall for food. Your Lordship?” asked the host, half-turning toward him. As Shane chose which dance he wished to do, this time something slow and graceful, the dark presence in the room approached him, and he looked over his shoulder and down toward the diminutive but well-muscled Lady Sira.

 

“Ah, Sira,” he greeted coolly, though his mind wandered to who and what she was, and what it was she desired from him, at this juncture.

 

“Your Grace,” she greeted with cordiality, “I wondered if you might grant me the honour of this evening’s last dance.”

 

“Very well,” Shane replied, motioning her before him, and she turned with a faint flourish as she moved to the centre of the dancefloor, where he soon joined her. Her hands slid into contact with him in the strange proximity of light and dark, and she turned irises of zaffre blue up to meet his green eyes. As the music of the waltz-like dance started, Shane felt her hands travel across his body as the dance allowed, though his could travel far less due to the height difference.

 

“Unarmed?” she asked in a hushed tone, inaudible beyond the dancefloor, to any observing, “Not especially wise of you, Lord Thorius.”

 

“You are, too,” Shane answered, “and why should I need be armed? I have soldiers for that.”

 

“Your muscle tone belies your skill, Lord Thorius; we both know there is more to you than these oblivious fools could conceive,” she replied coolly, calmly, “Just as you can undoubtedly tell that I am more than I appear.”

 

“Indeed,” Shane replied, his voice and mindset controlled as the two danced, twirling her as the dance commanded he do, spinning her back into his arms until her small back pressed against his stomach and hips.

 

“You dance well for a warrior,” she praised, letting a hint of emotion slip past her guard, and he sensed a mingling of surprise, admiration, approval, and a conspicuous lack of contempt. Her praise was genuine: she actually did think he danced quite well, especially knowing that he was a warrior and merely the domestic nobleman the galaxy saw in him.

 

“Your dancing has the elegance of finesse,” Shane answered coolly, burrowing into her shield with his words, sensing a hint of satisfaction slip past her guard, “I suspect you had dance lessons from the time you could walk.”

 

“Very nearly,” she admitted, before he twirled her once more, circling him as the dance demanded before they came together once more, linking one hand to the other as he spun her around him with a flourish before drawing her close. One of her legs rose with a bend at the knee as her body rose from the floor until only the tip of her other toe was able to touch the ground, her face dangerously near his own. He had one hand under the lifted thigh, as her leg wrapped a bit around him to press her ankle against his side in a show of subservience, his other hand cupping her ass in a firm grasp. She looked up at him for a long moment as the final pose of the dance was drawn out as was standard in noble society, and he was quite positive she was unarmed, but still dangerous.

 

As he released her, her body slid down from his hands, until both feet touched the ground; then, she stepped back from him and curtsied. It was as would be expected for a noblewoman of the Expansion Region, who had just been granted the honour of a dance with a Lord from the Colonies. He bowed faintly in answer, more because he recognized her as a perilous enemy that had chosen for some reason to reveal herself before they would ever confront one another in the heat of battle. She bowed her head respectfully when he offered her that.

 

“You dance phenomenally, Your Grace,” she announced, “I shall look forward to the opportunity to see you, again.” It was a more ominous statement than her tone or public vocalization suggested, as she turned and excused herself to the dining hall, where she ate alone, and on the far side of the hall as Lord Thorius, his slave, and his vassal. He felt it when she departed, rather than saw it; it was almost as if she just vanished, visually speaking, but Shane and N’Haru both sensed her presence growing more distant as she moved to the landing pad, then sailed away. The hangar bay, of course, was under heavy imperial guard given the congregation of several hundred noblemen and noblewomen from all around the Inner Rim and a few from the Expansion Region, nearby. Their night was more comfortable after that, though still somewhat ruined by encountering an enemy in the ballroom.

 

“My Lord?” came the voice of the host, “Have you enjoyed your evening at my humble gathering?”

 

“I have indeed, Lord Kalan,” Shane said as he stood, dabbing his lips briefly with a cloth napkin before doing so, and then taking the man’s hand and shaking firmly once more, “You are a fine organizer of masquerades. I fear I will not again have the opportunity to wear this outfit or the associated mask to such an event again, though.” Delis chuckled a little and rolled his shoulders.

 

“Well, I suspect you will set a trend hereabouts, your Lordship, toward white masks and white suits, and I suspect you could still wear it to masquerades in other regions of the galaxy,” Delis said, and Shane smiled faintly with a courteous nod of appreciation.

 

“Indeed; Lora, give Lord Kalan the communications channel to my secretary at the Statehouse,” he hadn’t made quite the impression that Hollis had, after all, but he’d made a solid impression as someone for rebel intelligence to do more investigation into, certainly. Once Lora had provided the requisite information, Shane nodded.

 

“You must excuse us, though, Delis. It is about time we departed from this exquisite festivity,” he said, before opting to make a more personal departure to ingrain himself in the minds of those present, “Lords and Ladies from the Inner Rim, you have made this evening quite memorable, for which, I grant all of you a small measure of personal favour. If you wish perchance to earn more favour, you may contact my vassal, Lady Caine, if you would wish to serve under her in pursuance of the interests of House Thorius. You may also ask Lord Kalan to pass a message on to my secretary on your behalf, if you have a matter of another sort to address, or may ask Lady Orlus if your matter is more… private.”

 

At that, he received a small ovation before he departed, trailed by his boy and his girl as they returned to the landing platform, where the luxury speeder awaited. Once aboard, the Mandalorian Guard moved into the speeder as well and windows were opened to allow them to fire from the speeder if the situation so demanded. The return to the hangar, however, was uneventful, and a thorough check of the Valiant indicated no tampering by the mysterious Lady Novali. Soon enough, the Valiant had departed from the atmosphere of Denon, and reentered hyperspace en route back to the planet of Belazura.

 

“Not that your company has not been exquisite, Groff,” Shane said as he looked at the Mandalorian squad commander, “but I shall very much enjoy being back in the field for a bit after this and not gallivanting about the galaxy like some oblivious rich noble-boy.”

 

“Highly understandable; from what I hear, you two are extraordinary to watch in battle; I wouldn’t mind to fight beside you in the field at some point, though we might have to change our armour for that,” Groff answered, “Kazenna said something about Vondarc. Hopefully you won’t find too much trouble there.” Shane nodded in agreement to that, but elected to wait until they were back on Belazura, in casual clothes, and could speak with Kazenna directly, in person.


	15. Soundless Absconsion

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The crew of the Nighthawk rescues a most unusual Jedi and her team from the Empire-held planet of Vondarc.

On their return to Belazura, and transition into the comfortable familiarity of their armour instead of their noble attire, save for Lora, who remained in fancier clothes. Shane couldn’t blame her, she’d grown up with it and it was a thing of comfort and personal femininity for her, and he certainly wouldn’t divest his girl of her identity utterly.

 

“Welcome back, Shane, N’Haru,” Kazenna greeted as they returned from switching into attire meant for combat usage.

 

“Good to be back. Please tell me we have a mission that does not call for an appearance by Lord Thorius,” Shane said in answer, and she nodded.

 

“A Jedi and her unit have been stranded on Vondarc; only way off the planet is through an imperial garrison, or stealth extraction. Our target’s name is Serene Silence,” Kazenna said.

 

“Wait, there’s actually someone named Serene Silence?” asked N’Haru, furrowing his eyebrows a little in response.

 

“It’s a codename. She was born mute, and whatever her name was before she became a padawan, she’s never written it down for anyone. Her Master couldn’t very well go around calling her ‘hey, you,’ so when she earned her lightsaber and selected a kasha crystal, he declared that her name was Serene Silence. Ever since then, she has answered… so to speak… to that name only,” Kazenna answered and Shane nodded his understanding, “How was the masquerade?”

 

“We encountered someone in whom we felt a dark presence,” N’Haru answered, which seized the immediate attention of everyone other than Lora, as she had been told on the way back.

 

“Describe her,” Kazenna urged.

 

“I don’t have to,” Shane replied, “she was in attendance of the masquerade; she introduced herself when her mask was removed. Her name is Sira Novali, a noblewoman from…”

 

“Baroli,” Kazenna concluded, “She was blue-haired, athletic, not especially tall?”

 

“You know her?”

 

“Of her,” Kazenna answered, “she is weak in the Force, but bears a tremendous talent in close combat. It is believed that she has slain what might be as many as one hundred Jedi in single combat. Her presence will be like a nightmare scenario for intelligence personnel, but you’ve acquired new information; we will need to summon Lady Wellen, she will have questions. For now, though, we must put behind us the threat she represents, and must travel to Vondarc to extract Serene Silence from the surface.”

 

“Be careful, Master,” Lora said as she approached her Owner, looking up into his eyes subserviently, smiling at him as she felt him press his lips gently to hers to reassure her.

 

“I will, slave,” Shane promised, then boarded the Nighthawk with his boy, his mentor, and the ship’s crew, who were eager for a chance to be about once more.

 

“Quite an assurance,” K’Shar said once the ramp closed, while T’Lor and M’Kan headed to the cockpit.

 

“A promise to be cautious is safe,” Shane replied, “A promise to not die, slightly more complicated.”

 

“True enough,” K’Shar chuckled a little in answer before turning and heading up to his own station on the ship, though they had been maintaining the ship fastidiously for a while. The ship didn’t go anywhere without the three lightsaber-wielders aboard, however, at least not as long as Kazenna and her pupils were still alive. Once they were back to their quarters, however, Shane and N’Haru found that the room had received some modifications, perhaps all of them had, but there was carpeting now. It was thick and soft, comfortable to stand on barefoot, even if it would require a bit of care and maintenance, he knew his boy wouldn’t mind that.

 

“Hey, Master, the bed is a little larger, and they replaced the trunks with actually dressers. I mean, they’re still metal, but,” N’Haru said as he looked over at his Owner with an affectionate smile.

 

“It’s nice to be back,” Shane said with a sigh before he laid down for the night and stretched out nude on the bed, his boy soon joining him in a similar state of undress.

 

“I like Lora, she is a worthy girl,” N’Haru said, and his Master turned his head, pressing his lips softly into his boy’s lips and kissing him passionately.

 

“I agree; I think she’ll be fine in our absence, though. I suspect living in the Thorius Statehouse is beyond her wildest dreams and the little slut has Jans to keep her properly fucked and spanked,” Shane said, chuckling a little, and N’Haru nodded his agreement.

 

“A sweet little bitch like her couldn’t ask for more in her Master’s absence,” N’Haru agreed, and Shane grinned, one hand sliding down to squeeze his boy’s rump forcefully.

 

“For now, let’s just get to sleep, slut,” Shane ordered, rolling onto his side and sliding his arms around his boy. N’Haru melted subserviently into his Master’s Arms as he rolled onto his side facing his Master, resting his head in the nape of his Master’s Neck and scooting the blankets out from under them before pulling them over them. 

 

* * *

 

Vondarc was a beautiful world, and the planetary spaceport of the similarly named Vonport was by no means a slum or especially unattractive as cities went, aside from the imperial presence. A few thousand storm troopers walking all over everything tended to make even a beautiful garden look hideous, they weren’t exactly the loveliest accent pieces. Ideally, at least for their purposes, Vonport was overlooked by a number of scenic hills and vistas the Empire had yet to blast to smithereens as ‘tactically disadvantageous,’ very much to the Nighthawk’s personal benefit. As the cloaked vessel landed, Shane and N’Haru stretched and limbered their muscles as the twins stepped up beside them to look on the planet and the city in particular.

 

“Almost reminds me of M’Haiu,” S’Kara said thoughtfully, “We would like to accompany you on this mission, if that should be acceptable.” They had their heavy blaster pistols already prepared, and had double-checked to ensure their crystals were blue, ensuring the firing of blue shots rather than the stereotypical red or reddish-orange used by imperial soldiers. It would be unfortunate if their target for extraction saw additional blaster fire and did not realize it was of a friendly variety immediately.

 

“Acceptable,” Kazenna replied, as she looked toward her pupils, and then the five of them set off down the forest path leading down a hill toward Vondarc. It would be a while to get there, but it was the best place to start looking for the information on where to go to locate Serene and whatever remained of her unit.

 

“So how does it remind you of Bpfassh? I wasn’t there long, but I didn’t see a lot of green,” Kazenna asked while they walked.

 

“A beautiful city, sullied by the presence of imperial soldiers,” S’Kara answered simply.

 

“Hopefully the Empire did not feel it necessary to blow up a school to secure the capitulation of the people of Vondarc, as they did on Bpfassh,” S’Kolu added.

 

“The Empire attacked a school?”

 

“A university, technically,” Shane supplied, “one of the planet’s best. M’Haiu’s respected engineering university. You were there?”

 

“Classroom A-17,” S’Kara answered, “The Empire sent troopers into the A, C, and F classrooms, and executed every student, or tried to. They thought it would secure the submission of Bpfassh to imperial authority to demonstrate they could come in and kill anyone they pleased and we could do nothing about it.”

 

“It is good that you survived,” Kazenna said, and the twins nodded as they approached the perimeter of the city, where storm troopers patrolled.

 

“It was the start of the Nighthawk project; every alumni of the university still alive was infuriated by the offense of it, and the alumni of other engineering universities were infuriated on principle,” S’Kolu added, “Almost every engineer on Bpfassh contributed to building the Nighthawk. You’d be hard-pressed to find one who didn’t, and when you have a few million engineers putting their minds to the same task, you can make some amazing accomplishments in a short period of time.”

 

“It’s a good thing you happened along when you did, though; we wouldn’t ever have been able to do as much as we’ve been able to do for the rebellion since you came into our lives,” S’Kara continued, “for which we thank you.” As she spoke, they ducked into the cover of a ground freight vehicle entering the city, hiding themselves amid the cargo crates until they were past the trooper patrols, and then leaping off before the operating droid noticed the difference in weight.

 

Once within the city, it was an easy matter to move around once they had unfurled and donned cloaks brought for the purpose, whose hoods could offer near-total anonymity. The denizens of Vonport were miserable under the Empire’s heel, despite the fact that the residents were human to the near-exclusion of every other species of sapient in the galaxy. However, they soon learned that there was a disturbance in the harbour, toward which a number of storm troopers had started running, and they sent a quick encrypted message to the Nighthawk telling it to relocate to a position over the water. T’Lor and M’Kan would know enough to maintain an altitude that didn’t give away the presence of a cloaked ship, but they needed the ship to be in position for an emergency pickup, as well.

 

Following the storm trooper patrols as they moved, Shane and Kazenna stealthily picked off the one sin the back of a squad they were following, leaving a trail of dead storm troopers in their wake. The locals were happy enough to see imperial soldiers being seemingly chased down the streets and killed that they almost seemed to swarm in behind the small squad racing toward the harbour. No evidence would remain that storm troopers had been killed in a trail toward the harbour, and as they reached it, they found their target at the end of a long concrete pier. It was unmistakable as a cargo wharf, with massive crates from behind which some blaster fire was coming back at imperial soldiers on other wharves and at the main thoroughfare from which those piers extended. In front of the crates, there was a woman who whirled and twisted as if a dervish wreathed in two banners of white light, bright red bolts deflecting in many directions as she deflected blaster fire with a double-bladed white lightsaber. Her rich olive complexion was accented by irises of azure and an elbow-length ponytail of true-black hair, and she was clothed in cream-coloured shirt and pants with a dark brown robe, belt, and ankle-height boots.

 

“I think we’ve found our Jedi,” Shane observed, and the twins nodded as they quickly chose tactical positions, which would permit them to make their approach toward her by first flanking some of the troopers. A dozen troopers already lay dead with the green scorch-marks of blaster fire from the Jedi’s allies behind the crates, a hundred more scorched by imperial blaster fire deflected back to them, but she also had no way out. As the twins dashed into cover, Kazenna and her pupils moved into the open behind one firing line of storm troopers while S’Kara and S’Kolu cut another line down from a flank as they fired down one wharf. There was a brief lull in the imperial and rebel firefight as the bolts of blue were noticed, as well as the three approaching fighters, two of whom with lightsaber weapons. Even as troopers turned to fire on them, Kazenna and Shane used their training to deflect shots as N’Haru bolted forward.

 

While his Master and his mentor inexorably advanced while deflecting blaster bolts, N’Haru raced forward, twisting and whirling his way forward through blaster fire coming from both directions. Bright red bolts whipped past his head from ahead as troopers fired at him, swept past him from behind as deflected bolts were directed back into soldiers in front of him. He slid like a serpent through the maze of gunfire, before rising into the air with a somersault and coming down with a loud metal clank as his phrik staff slammed into one trooper’s helmet, shattering it before striking him in the skull. As he crumpled to the ground dead and the two nearest were hit by deflected blaster fire, N’Haru whirled in their midst, hitting two more in the throat before hitting a fourth in the side of the head. Seconds later, lightsabers cut with a deeply resonant hum through others, as his Master and mentor joined him in close-quarters combat while both of the twins repositioned themselves.

 

Now on the same pier with their target, a hundred troopers trapped between them and a couple hundred more firing at them from an arc position, the twins were slowly withdrawing down the pier. Even as Kazenna and her pupils cut their path forward, the woman made eye contact with Kazenna, then nodded and started to cut her own path forward, using her lightsaber to deflect bolts into imperials on the pier. When there were none left to cut, blast, or bash, remaining on the pier except on the far side of the twins, Kazenna whistled sharply and the twins fell back rapidly as the four Force-sensitives ducked behind the crates where the Jedi’s unit was pinned.

 

“Serene Silence?” asked Kazenna rhetorically, and the woman nodded wordlessly in answer to the question.

 

“You’ve found her,” said one of the women in her unit, who wore a locket around her throat that looked like a heart, but had a double-bladed lightsaber of white gold across it, “Who are you?”

 

“Alliance intelligence sent us to facilitate your extraction,” Kazenna replied as the twins and one other survivor of the Jedi’s unit continued to trade fire with the imperials who vastly outnumbered them.

 

“And your solution was to bring five people and get pinned down on the pier with three other people?”

 

“You could say that,” S’Kara replied as she looked over at her, then back toward the imperials swarming the piers and base they were extending from, before touching one ear, “Are you in position?”

 

“Affirmative, Falcon 3,” T’Lor replied, using the codenames they had been provided by rebel intelligence before they left Belazura, “recommend cover action.” At that instruction, the twins each ducked behind cover, with S’Kolu using one foot to hook around the neck of the other member of Serene’s unit and yank him down to the ground.

 

“What are y-” the man started, before brilliant flashes of blue filled the air as the Nighthawk fired through the cloaking device and made short work of somewhere around three hundred white-armoured imperial soldiers. A heartbeat later, the ramp opened behind them and Kazenna motioned toward the ship, where the two surviving soldiers blinked for a moment and stared, before hurrying to follow their Jedi companion aboard the ship. Even as new storm troopers were racing to the docks to in answer to the cannon fire, the twins raced aboard and fired long-range shots that would cause no harm if they hit, but they did make the soldiers duck for cover. As Kazenna and her pupils leapt aboard, the ramp closed behind them quickly and the cloaked vessel was once more completely undetectable to imperial sensors, as the engines went into overdrive. A massive splash of saltwater swept onto the piers, washing imperial corpses off into the water as the Nighthawk ripped up through the atmosphere and raced out into space.

 

“You have a cloaked ship,” said the woman wearing the locket, who was wearing mismatched armour, her skin light and her hair a dark shade of brown with myrtle-green irises, her statement more rhetorical and dry than a real question, “You could’ve mentioned that.”

 

“Serene, are you injured?” asked Kazenna, turning her attention toward the Jedi for a moment, but Serene shook her head in silence and motioned toward the woman, then patted her own arm a couple times.

 

“I’m fine, Serene, it’s only…” the woman started, before a sharp look from Serene silenced her, “Okay, love, I’ll let you take care of it… again.” As she spoke she unlatched her armour and removed it, revealing a taut physique under a wrapping of black gauze that proved quite conservative in the modesty it afforded her. It looked as if it was woven as an intentional underlayer of protection, as there proved to be a seam at each shoulder that allowed her to remove a specific section, in this case the sleeve of her left arm as she peeled it down and removed it. She had a pair of wicked red scorch-marks from blaster fire, as Serene moved over and focused, using the Force to heal her, before embracing the woman and kissing her lips gently.

 

“Thanks, love, it feels much better now. I’ll need to requisition another sleeve, though, this one’s got some nasty holes in it now,” she replied, looking at her armour, which had matching punctures, “and new vambraces, for that matter.”

 

“You arrived just in time, I think,” the man said, as he removed his own armour and took off the shirt portion, although it left his arms still sleeved in gauze, letting Serene heal a couple hits he’d taken in the torso. Nonlethal hits, and yet undoubtedly painful, nevertheless, Shane was rather confident of that much.

 

“Name’s Dalen Mathaius; Serene, of course, everyone recognizes, and that’s…”

 

“Kaseia Limnor, Serene’s mate,” Kaseia interjected for herself, “I don’t mean to sound ungrateful; we were managing to evade until this morning, but the ISB outmanoeuvred us and we lost almost a half-dozen good men and women this morning before you arrived. I know you got here as soon as you could, and you have our thanks for that…”

 

“Yet, you wish you hadn’t needed extraction, or that we’d arrived yesterday,” Shane supplied, and she answered with a sigh and a faint nod.

 

“Yes.”

 

“Comfort yourself with the fact that there’s about six hundred fewer storm troopers and that for every good man or woman who died for the rebellion today, a hundred imperials joined them,” Kazenna said, and Kaseia nodded faintly.

 

“What is our destination?” asked Kaseia, changing the topic away from their fresh pain.

 

“Belazura,” Kazenna answered, and three pairs of eyes widened a bit.

 

“You’re bringing us into the heart of the Empire?”

 

“Alliance Intelligence has set up a base of operations there,” Kazenna answered, and they stared at her incredulously.

 

“… you’re serious,” Kaseia said as the realization dawned a moment later, “How are we going to get from Belazura, back to the battlefront, though? Are there more ships like this one?”

 

“This ship is one-of-a-kind,” S’Kolu answered, “since we’re going to be sharing proximity for a few days, though, we should perhaps make introductions since you’ve shared your names. My name is S’Kolu Irfanth, and this is my twin, S’Kara. The pilots you don’t see right now are T’Lor Marluth and M’Kan Lorwun; our demolitions expert is K’Cela Orph, our hacker is Sor’A Lenoir.”

 

“My name is Kazenna Xevac; previously of the former Jedi Order,” she introduced, and Serene quietly shook hands with her, sensing her light but also her emotion, “These are my pupils, Shane Morris and N’Haru Olath, both of whom are with rebel intelligence as deep cover operatives.”

 

“A pleasure to make your acquaintance,” Kaseia answered, on her own behalf and that of her mute mate, “I take it we will be aboard for a few days; where should we place our things?”

 

“There are rooms on the third deck, and some on the first. The majority of the crew is on the first deck; the third deck is where I and my pupils reside in rooms ten and three respectively,” Kazenna replied, to which Kaseia nodded before looking toward her mate. Serene made a few gestures, to which Dalen and Kaseia both nodded in answer and moved to bring their armour down to the lower deck, while Serene remained for a moment to offer Kazenna an appreciative nod before proceeding, herself.

 

For the next few days, at least, Serene joined in their lightsaber training in the cargo bay, though she regarded N’Haru quizzically, in that he fought solely with the staff but never the blade.

 

“He doesn’t activate the blade unless he needs it,” Shane related, able to discern her curiosity without Serene needing a voice to communicate it, “only seen My boy activate it once in combat; in training he only activated it the first week or thereabouts, I think, then he stopped as he got better.”

 

By the time they reached Belazura, the trio was ready for a few days of rest to recover and deal with the losses suffered on Vondarc, and House Thorius proved a welcome respite. On their landing, however, they were greeted by Windmere Wellen, who had come in response to the fact that Shane had learned new information about a dangerous enemy and it needed to be presented to rebel intelligence, which she represented.

 

“Lady Wellen, a pleasure to see you again,” Shane greeted, and she nodded promptly.

 

“Likewise, Shane; overtly, my cover has come to seek the counsel and advisory of your cover,” she said, as she walked with him until they were out of the hangar and into the hallways, before allowing him to lead the way to Laine’s office. Once they were inside, she closed the door behind them, and moved to sit in front of the young lord’s desk, allowing him to take the honoured seat behind the desk, in the event optical surveillance was tracking her, or tracking the young Lord Thorius, for any reason.

 

“I am told you encountered Lady Sira Novali on Denon,” she prompted; the frosted glass of the windows would make it impossible to read lips, but it couldn’t mask who sat where and which places had no one in them.

 

“Yes, she approached me for the last dance of the night at a masquerade ball. I could feel her presence before that, she introduced herself when she was unmasked prior to my companion and I being unmasked as part of a small bit of sport on the part of Lord Kalan,” Shane answered, and Windmere nodded.

 

“She did not attempt to kill you?”

 

“She was as unarmed as I was; she commented it was unwise of me to be unarmed, I pointed out she wasn’t carrying any weapons, either,” Shane replied, “She wasn’t there as a representative of the Empire, at least not openly. I believe she came as the accompaniment of a member of the Inner Rim’s nobility, despite being of Expansion Region nobility, herself.”

 

“Yes, that would make sense… but unarmed, you say?” the Lady was focused on that.

 

“Of that much, I am quite certain. Our dance was the Commenorian Waltz, which, as you know…”

 

“…involves a great deal of touching, and means she touched about every part of your body and you touched just about every part of hers,” Windmere finished, with a nod of agreement, “In which case, if she had a hidden weapon anywhere you would undoubtedly have felt at least some part of it.” She paused for a long moment in thought, before continuing.

 

“Fascinating; so she actually attends social gatherings in her role as a Lady of Baroli, and does so unarmed and without imperial escort,” Windmere mused to herself, then seemed to remember Shane and looked up once more, “She didn’t have an imperial escort with her, did she?”

 

“No, when we were approaching the landing pad, we saw no imperial soldiers, either armoured or uniformed, my own personal guard of Mandalorians were really the only soldiers around, everyone else in attendance was a Lord or Lady,” Shane assured her, “Mine was almost the only slave present. There were caterers and musicians, but they would have been hired by Lord Kalan.”

 

“And he would not likely take instruction from a lesser noble than himself,” Windmere added with certainty, “And if she was attending as a Lady of Baroli, she wouldn’t have used her role with the Empire’s military structure to compel him into it. He certainly wouldn’t be the one who invited her, and if she didn’t use her imperial authority to get herself an invitation, someone else must have invited her. By the way, we’ve investigated the nobles you indicated thoroughly; all three of them can be of use, though the youngling from Tirahnn is the most useful. Our analysis suggests he has a strong rebel inclination, though he has yet to reach out to us at this point; he is vulnerable to the influence of a lover, and our psychologists believe you two would be compatible. Of course, this assumes your current slaves are unopposed to the idea of your taking a third, and assumes that you would be willing to do that in the interests of the rebellion.”

 

“Umm,” Shane faltered a little there, he hadn’t expected to be asked to collar someone ‘for the rebellion,’ though he would’ve been lying if he said Hollis wasn’t adorable and someone he’d have loved to collar, “well, the more important part of that would be the agreeability of my boy and my girl. Assuming, of course, Hollis is even interested in such an arrangement in the first place.”

 

“According to the message he sent your private account – which, you haven’t read yet, apparently – and our analysts, I feel like it’s safe to say he’s very interested; so please discuss that with your boy and your girl,” Windmere said, and he nodded a little before she continued, “Now, as for the other two. Lady Orlus is neutral; she isn’t fond of the Empire but she has made no indications of support for the rebellion, either. Of course, there are ways we can use her neutrality for our benefit, as long as it doesn’t do anything to imperil her she won’t flip imperial. Delis Kalan on the other hand, is a careerist, if the term could be applied to a nobleman. Indications suggest that if a nobleman of greater rank offered favour, he would go to great lengths to secure that favour, possibly even to the point of self-denigration and ingratiation to earn it by virtually any means necessary. I leave it to your discretion how to turn him and when, but if Lord Thorius took him as a vassal, his potential value to the alliance could hardly be overstated. Denon may not have a king, but if it did, Lord Kalan would be it: he is the most respected, most powerful, and most influential nobleman on his planet.”

 

“Understood; I will see to it that he is taken as a vassal of Lord Thorius, though not so easily that he feels suspicious of his good fortune,” Shane replied, and he could sense his boy’s amusement as Windmere nodded.

 

“Excellent. Leave Nel Orlus to us, but we will keep you apprised of the situation and brief you if a situation arises that would require you to meet with her personally. I am told that your girl has been handling the transition very well, and has been an excellent asset in managing your identity, responding to communications in a way most of our operatives lack the social astuteness to mimic. Your cover identity’s name is improving quite well under her management,” she said as she rose, and he stood with her. She extended her hand, shaking hands with him firmly before turning away to face the door.

 

“As always, it has been a pleasure. However, before you can summon either Lord Zaer or Lord Kalan to you, we have another task we’d like to ask you to tend to,” Windmere continued, “It is undoubtedly a trap, but the lives of a dozen ace pilots of the Alliance rest on it. The intelligence was discovered too easily, and it was verified too easily, but there it is: on the planet Neelgaimon, with an extremely light guard on the ground, are twelve of our finest pilots captured by the Empire. However, the planet is in imperial space, and if we bring in an entire fleet to rescue them, we will lose far more than the value of these pilots.”

 

“So you need a ship to slip in and get them out quickly,” Shane said, and she nodded.

 

“You should know the chief guard of these prisoners is your new acquaintance from Baroli. We’ve smuggled in some engineers of our own; we’re upgrading the engines on the Nighthawk to Class 0.5 with a Class 0.8 reserve engine. They’re working alongside your engineers now,” Windmere added, “they’re making sure nothing goes wrong and that nothing gets mucked up in the process, of course, but you need to be able to travel faster than you have been. They’re also modifying the Valiant further – an added 100 RU to the hull armour, added another 100 SBD to the shield strength, attained imperial oversight approval for adding guns. Those haven’t arrived yet, but they’ll be there when you return from Neelgaimon and decide whether you’re going to Tirahnn, back to Denon, or both.”

 

“All right; we will leave for Neelgaimon tomorrow, then,” Shane assured, and she nodded before she excused herself, to let him discuss with his pets whether Hollis would make an acceptable ‘third.’

 

“Hollis looked quite adorable, Master, and would make an excellent companion slave for Lora,” N’Haru said, sensing that Lora was waiting subserviently for the ranking slave to speak first, “I am certain he would have other uses, also, just as she does, due to his rank as a Lord of the Inner Rim.”

 

“He would be an excellent vassal for You, Master, his influence could easily broaden the reach of House Thorius, and with Lord Kalan under my authority as Your vassal, what I could do for you would likewise be greatly expanded on,” Lora answered, and Shane nodded a little bit. He was a little surprised both of his pets seemed so agreeable to the idea of Him taking a third possession.

 

“You are the Master,” N’Haru answered the sensation of surprise and uncertainty, “If You wish for another slave, that is Your right. As long as it does not diminish the love and Dominance we receive from You, and as long as he doesn’t mind being subordinate to me, I don’t think either of us would be bothered at all.” Shane nodded, rising and moving to kiss his boy, and then his girl, gently on the lips before returning with them to his chambers for the evening.


	16. The Lure of Aces

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Nighthawk travels to Neelgaimon, and despite the best efforts of a deadly Sith, rescues captured rebel pilots from being consigned to a deadly labour camp.

The planet of Neelgaimon was arid and hot, a planet of sand-mines, deserts, barren plateaus, soaring mesas, and a new structure on the surface that was, very obviously, a trap. As the Nighthawk slid past an imperial star destroyer on its’ approach, one would have needed to be blind to miss the whitewashed concrete bunker encompassed in a sea of dark yellow sand amidst a thousand towering mesas. They hovered a moment, examining the situation on the ground below by way of a holo-window, a sensor sweep revealing that there were four imperial soldiers on the ground, armed with blaster rifles. They stood in a doorway between the rest of the ten-room facility and a storeroom whose scans showed twelve bound prisoners; they had been shown the files, would be able to recognize the prisoners on sight by their name and appearance. Outside, wrapped in light grey cloth that wound about her entire form, stood Lady Sira Novali; as she stood, unmistakable for her zaffre-blue hair as it wafted one way or another in the desert breezes, it was quite evident she was waiting for someone. In either hand, she held an active lightsaber of the shoto variety, each having a luminous blade of light crimson colouration, waiting to see who would come for the ace pilots.

 

“Plan?” asked K’Cela, looking to the zabrak who was the impromptu leader, even if K’Shar was the unofficial owner of the ship.

 

“Shane, N’Haru, and I, will distract her. Once we have engaged, you, Sor’A, and the twins, will drop on the far side, slip in and execute the guards with precision shots. If the twelve others are not imperial troopers part of the ambush, and are in fact rebel prisoners, whether they’re the aces or otherwise, extract them to the Nighthawk,” Kazenna replied, then looked up, “T’Lor, M’Kan.”

 

“What do you need us to do?”

 

“Await them on the far side of the facility where the open ramp won’t give your presence away to our Sith opponent; once they’re aboard, land on the far side of the fight as the facility to pick us up. All of you, use slug-throwers and not blasters, I guarantee she’s going to be skilled at blaster deflection and we don’t want her using our own shots to execute the hostages.”

 

“Understood,” T’Lor answered, bringing the ship down into a position where they could disembark without becoming immediately visible to the Sith.

 

“There’s an imperial warship overhead, and she may be weak in the Force but she is lethally talented in close combat, but even if we can do more than distract her we will not likely have much time. As soon as the imperials realize there’s combat on the ground, they will dispatch dropships to bring in a couple thousand storm troopers, and we cannot fight that many. You four have to be in and back out in ten minutes, maximum; you need to be back on the ship before their dropships are halfway to the ground,” Kazenna warned, then looked to her pupils and continued, “And for us, this will unfortunately not be an attack to kill her. This’ll be an attack to distract her long enough that we can get the pilots out and then retreat; we can use the fact that she is weak in the Force to our advantage, in this regard, at least. Let’s go.”

 

At her signal, the three of them dashed down the ramp and leapt off as it started to close before they were completely out, landing in braced crouches on the desert sand. The Nighthawk vanished from sight as the cargo bay ramp closed, and the sand settled as it rose up far enough to ensure it would not give itself away by disrupting the desert.

 

“I sense two who are known to me,” called a voice familiar to both young men, though to Shane more than to N’Haru, “and one who is unknown to me.” Kazenna rolled her shoulders, and Shane nodded, moving out from behind the mesa with his own lightsabers drawn, one a shoto and the other long-handled. N’Haru followed, the phrik alloy of his staff gleaming in the desert sunlight, though where his Master’s green blades shimmered, his pike remained inactive as his mentor followed them out, drawing her own and activating them. Sira’s eyes of zaffre blue narrowed as she looked at the zabrak, optically zeroing in on the zabrak’s tri-bladed weapon of choice, an expression of interest and a shimmer of fascination emanating from her to their Force-sensitivity.

 

“Fascinating, indeed, Lord Thorius,” Sira said, “Your Grace arms his slave with a lightsaber?”

 

“I do, Inquisitrix Novali,” Shane answered. He didn’t bother to correct her on the matter of his name, mainly because if the only name she knew was Laine Thorius, it was undoubtedly to his own benefit. Even as he spoke, a slow circling process started as she circled around him, her attention smoothly flitting between the three as they put distance between themselves, to form a rotating triangle around her.

 

“Inquisitrix?” she paused, tilting her head as if to consider it, “A new word, but I like it; thank you.”

 

“Quite welcome,” Shane answered evenly, as she continued to face him primarily; if she was underestimating Kazenna or worse yet his boy, he was completely comfortable with that, “So, I have to ask, Lady Sira. How could you be certain we would show up for this little party of yours?”

 

“Admittedly, it was a risk; there was the chance the rebels would send someone else, and admittedly, there was a risk said other would see me and judge the loss of twelve pilots acceptable to kill me and then bombarded the entire region. However,” she answered with a smirk full of the same smugness that glinted in her eye, filled her vocal tone, as well as radiating off her to their Force-sensitivity, “I felt it was worth the gamble.”

 

“And now?” asked Shane, as he moved into a position between her and the small concrete bunker.

 

“Three Jedi for the price of one?” she replied, “Quite pleased with the turnout, so to speak. I’ve never killed three Jedi at the same time, before.”

 

“Nor are you about to,” Kazenna answered from one side of her, causing the Inquisitrix’s attention to jerk toward her, an inquisitorial furrowing of zaffre-blue eyebrows following.

 

“Awfully confident you’ll win, aren’t you?” she asked rhetorically, fully aware that there was no excess of confidence radiating off them, which was the part that proved perplexing.

 

“No, we’re just not Jedi,” N’Haru replied, soliciting the Inquisitrix to swivel her attention fully around to the opposite side as she narrowed her eyes and looked at him.

 

“Oh, really?” she replied, “Ever more fascinating, you are, Lord Thorius. I wonder how much I might be able to learn of you all, once I have secured the glory of being the one to kill you.” As she finished, the sound of gunshots rang out clear and audible from inside the bunker as her eyebrows furrowed and eyes narrowed anew.

 

“I see, well, our conversation has gone on for long enough, then, hasn’t it?” she asked rhetorically, lunging powerfully toward Shane and making a sweeping attack with each of her blades. As Shane moved to deflect them, she made use of the force-of-impact to swivel her smaller frame around, slamming her feet into his chest and throwing him onto his back on the desert sand. Even as she landed, Kazenna moved in, forcing her to turn her direction toward the incoming zabrak as Shane rose from the sands. Lightsabers hummed once more as Kazenna’s long-handled blade slammed into one shoto, before her sai trapped the Inquisitrix’s other blade, and Sira’s eyes narrowed on it.

 

“… fascinating; it’s a lightsai,” Sira praised coolly as she examined it for a heartbeat, before leaping backward as she caught sight of movement from the zabrak as Kazenna moved to kick her. She somersaulted backward through the air to land with a sweeping stream of dust in front of her, cloth-wrapped feet sliding backward across the desert sand, as well as one similarly wrapped hand. As she rose, motion caught her attention once more, as sand was kicked up by an opposing stream of dust, this one approaching her as N’Haru made a low-arc leap toward her, crossing a dozen metres. His staff whooshed heavily through the air as he struck toward her, though for all her skill his weapon was long and it took her nearly two minutes just to close enough to put him on the defensive.

 

“A pike is a bad weapon to rely on for def-” she started to condescend, but halted as she found he was far more adept at defense than her personal estimate. It startled her, and as she froze for the breadth of a heartbeat, his boot hit her in the chest and slung her backward to slam into the sand on her back. Even as she skidded backward, she brought both arms over her head and swung her legs up, fingers digging into the sand as she rotated herself lengthwise before her feet hit the ground, her short-bladed lightsabers still firmly in-hand.

 

Her head swept up, strands of zaffre blue swinging over her head and behind her once more, as she looked up in a way almost feral before she somersaulted backward to land on her feet. She used her legs as a spring, landing in a way that lowered into a crouch before it catapulted her forward, sweeping past both Kazenna and N’Haru as she went for Shane a second time, blades humming violently against his own. He melted backward from her, relying expressly on defense for the moment, before his shoto was sent skidding across the sand as she divested him of one of his weapons.

 

As she brought her arm back, she jerked against an unseen influence for a second, as N’Haru reached with one hand, seizing her with the Force. As he did, Shane leapt sideward and rolled, seizing his shoto even as his pet slung her back across the sand, the hum of lightsabers filling the air as Kazenna closed again. Even as the dust continued to kick up, thicker and thicker because of the fight combined with a steady desert breeze, the flashing lights of their confrontation continued to give away their presences. The cloud thickened and churned, as Kazenna launched herself backward with a high-arc somersault, landing in a braced crouch as Shane attacked, forcing Sira on the defensive. As she backed up, Shane abruptly disengaged and leapt backward as well, the bright light of his green blades fading through the dust just before a loud metal thunk resounded as N’Haru slammed his staff into her thighs. A second followed the first even as she swung with both blades to aim for his feet, as he used his staff to launch himself into the air, her blades passing as harmless as the breeze he struck like a ghost and disintegrated just as swiftly.

 

As N’Haru landed in a braced crouch of his own and whirled around, his staff made a deep whoosh in the air, before he brought it up above him. Twin blades of light crimson slammed into his staff, and he threw his weight backwards, rolling across his back and planting both feet on her stomach before thrusting. As he did, she was thrown into the air, throttling haphazardly before she thudded into the ground facedown, shaking her head as she pushed herself up onto her hands and knees and adopted a strictly defensive stance. This time, however, she waited for the dust cloud to settle, as she kept keenly aware of where each Force presence was located. As the dust settled, she turned her attention onto the zabrak, lunging toward her and initiating a flurry of strikes that ended in Kazenna’s long-handled lightsaber being slung across the desert sand with a brief skid. She moved to strike, but twin applications of Force Push slammed into her, one from underneath that threw her into the air before another slammed into her from a forward diagonal, spiking her into the sand like a volleyball.

 

Kazenna used the Force to seize her lightsaber and reclaim it as the Inquisitrix skidded back only to use her hands as before, her cloth wrapping now coated in a veil-like layer of dust. As she rose to her feet, she noticed the three of them had repositioned to be on the far side of her as the bunker, and her eyebrows furrowed for a heartbeat. Then, a triple application of Force Push washed into it, throwing her threw the arch of the doorframe and into the hall where she slid to a stop near four very dead imperial troopers as the shadow of an imperial dropship neared.

 

As she moved to her feet, they could feel smugness fade into infuriation as they turned and ran toward the Nighthawk as the ramp opened, leaping in. The ramp’s movement reversed as they landed, shutting and masking their presence, as the Inquisitrix rushed back out to look for them and found they were beyond her sight. Engines whirred softly, and even as imperial soldiers leapt from the dropship and swarmed the facility behind the diminutive Sith, the Nighthawk rose invisibly into the atmosphere before it accelerated rapidly and escaped. Due to her weakness in the Force, Lady Sira’s presence was lost to their ability to detect it even before they left the planetary atmosphere, though Shane would have put money on a wager that she was furious.

 

As Kazenna rose, she found the cargo bay had twelve new faces, ones she’d seen in the pictures, and sighed in relief; at least the verification of rebel aces hadn’t been a false one.

 

“Your rescue was quite timely,” said one of the group’s four women, and the only one who was also a zabrak.

 

“Yes, we were told that we were being moved to Neelgaimon to serve in the sand-mines,” said another, the only male of the group that happened to be human, “a dreadful fate that would’ve been; this planet’s deep in imperial territory.”

 

“I imagine you’ll want to get some payback on the Empire for your imprisonment,” Kazenna said, and all twelve gave nods of confirmation on that one.

 

“With interest,” said the zabrak female, “a lot of interest.”

 

“We’ve bonded a bit, during the period of our incarceration, as we were imprisoned together,” said a Miraluka pilot, the mere thought of which N’Haru found remarkable and impressive, “I think we all agree, we’d like to serve together as a single unit.”

 

“It sounds like an excellent idea, but we’re not in a position to make you that promise,” Kazenna replied, “However, we are en route now to rendezvous with someone who can take you to someone who would be in such a position.”

 

“Fair enough,” the male Miraluka replied, with a nod, before turning his face toward N’Haru, “I sensed your approach, warned the others, but you are… unusual. I could sense the battle, sensed that your weapon remained… unlit. You are unique.” N’Haru’s cheeks coloured faintly and he offered a hint of a shy smile as he nodded in response to the words.

 

“Thank you; I am simply glad we were able to distract the Inquisitrix long enough for our crewmen to effect a rescue,” he said, and the Miraluka nodded firmly.

 

“As are we, I can assure you,” replied the zabrak woman, before N’Haru noticed the twelve pilots they had just rescued represented ten different sapient species. Other than two kallidahin and a pair of devaronians, everyone else was really the only member of their species that happened to be present.

 

“For now, I think we need to wash our armour and ourselves, however,” Shane said, as he excused himself, and moved toward the ladder down to the third deck, “Come, pet.” N’Haru followed dutifully, though Kazenna remained behind a moment to offer a polite explanation of their relationship to those who would be sharing the ship with them for more than a week’s time. By the time she was done, the boys had vacated the showers and returned to their room, stowing their armour as they clothed themselves more comfortably. They sensed an unfamiliar presence moving into the third deck, though, even as their mentor’s was in the showers, and soon heard the soft sound of knuckles on metal when the Miraluka knocked, the noise audible yet by no means obtrusive.

 

“Open it, pet,” Shane said as he buttoned up a casual shirt, watching his boy move to the door and open it to show that the Miraluka indeed stood there. A little taller than Shane at slightly more than one hundred eighty centimetres and a little heavier at about ninety-five and a quarter kilograms, according to his file; he had a light complexion, which was accented by chocolate-coloured hair. His hair was wet, and he was wreathed in a towel, which bespoke of potentially having taken a quick shower alongside their mentor before coming to see their door.

 

“Apologies for the uninvited knocking and my impromptu appearance, but your energies are mesmerizing, and though I am sure you already know my name, I wished to introduce myself properly,” he said, “My name is Lurion Sarr.”

 

“A pleasure to meet you, Lurion; my name is Shane Morris, and this young man is N’Haru Olath, one of my slaves,” Shane answered, and Lurion nodded.

 

“I sense no unkindness in the term, nor sense I any sorrow in him,” Lurion replied, and Shane nodded, “Your relations are…”

 

“Consensual,” N’Haru supplied, “He is my Owner because I choose to give myself to Him, and He chooses to accept.”

 

“I must admit that your bond is entrancing and magnetic. I felt it even as you fought outside our place of incarceration,” Lurion replied, “I also sense that it was a trap, and that you came in the knowledge that you were being lured there. I would like to repeat my appreciation, on my own behalf and that of my companions, who would surely be even more grateful to know that you walked into a trap to rescue us.”

 

“You are very perceptive,” Shane answered, motioning with a hand, “though I suppose as a Miraluka, you would have to be. Please, come in, if you like.” Lurion nodded and stepped inside, and N’Haru closed the door behind him, himself still clothed only in the boxer-briefs he had been given.

 

“Indeed, all Miraluka must be perceptive, lest we walk into walls as children,” Lurion answered lightheartedly, with a bit of a chortle of self-amusement, as he halted in the middle of the room.

 

“My own keen senses tell me you came down for more than just a self-introduction, though,” Shane said, and Lurion nodded a bit in answer.

 

“Yes. I must confess, I am not certain of the protocols involved, but, I find both of you to be intensely attractive, and, admittedly, I’ve been cooped up for a rather long period,” Lurion answered unshyly.

 

“You wish to be intimate with us, to use my boy and…”

 

“…and to lay with you in whatever way is comfortable for you,” Lurion answered, “I sense that you’re not unfamiliar with providing pleasure, yourself, but…”

 

“It is something special that I share only with my boy, at this point,” Shane confirmed, and Lurion nodded to show he understood.

 

“So you tend to your boy’s needs, but only his,” Lurion said, somewhat inquisitively.

 

“Only theirs; there is a woman whom I also own, and I tend to her needs personally, as well, though I see that she isn’t utterly void of attention in my absence. N’Haru is a warrior, but my girl is … decidedly noncombatant,” Shane replied, “You can remove the towel; there’re some fresh clothes in one of the crates in the cargo bay, we brought some spare clothes in case our rescue was successful.” Lurion nodded with an appreciative smile, unwrapping the towel from his torso to reveal the whole of himself, demonstrating that he was not poorly equipped, nor lacking for muscle tone. His solid endowment standing a lovely twenty-three centimetres long and a little less than six and a half centimetres thick, before his face turned up toward Shane.

 

“Just lay hang it over the doorknob for now,” Shane said of the towel, as Lurion held it in one hand as if searching for a place where he could put it. At Shane’s instruction, Lurion nodded and turned, carefully hanging it over the doorknob before he turned back toward them, smiling faintly as he sensed N’Haru approaching. As the Bpfassh neared, Lurion’s hand slid out to touch his cheek lightly, cupping his face somewhat shyly, but with unmistakable interest, as his face turned toward Shane.

 

“Are there any rules you have? I must confess I have been alone for… a long time, even in the company of the friends who shared my imprisonment; we were… friendly, but never intimate,” Lurion related, and Shane shook his head in answer. Satisfied he wouldn’t be breaching boundaries that should not be breached, Lurion slid closer to N’Haru, pale hands sliding across silvery flesh as he embraced the scarcely-clad Bpfassh, who was a solid eight years his junior, at least according to the file. It hardly showed, Lurion looked as if he could’ve easily been twenty to look at him, as his pale lips pressed forcefully against N’Haru’s grey ones, and his tongue pressed into the younger male’s mouth, kissing passionately and enthusiastically. His hands slid down N’Haru’s back, savouring the sensation of holding and touching another person for the first time in what was at least two years according to the prison file. He cupped both cheeks of N’Haru’s ass and squeezed firmly through the fabric, pulling back from the kiss gently as N’Haru lifted a thigh, letting one leg wrap around the Miraluka’s hips.

 

Even as he watched, Shane stripped his own clothes away, and once nude he lowered himself onto the bed to sit and watch comfortably, leaning against pillows propped on the wall. As Lurion’s hands caressed their way up N’Haru the younger male slid down until he knelt in front of the older one, licking and kissing his cock affectionately, sending a pleasurable and almost-forgotten sensation into Lurion. He released a soft whimper of pleasure as his feet strained on the carpet, muscles tensing from his thighs up through his gluts to his abdomen as his cock slid up and across N’Haru’s lips. His fingers slid into N’Haru’s dark hair, clutching then releasing repeatedly as the younger male’s lips and tongue caressed his length.

 

“Down, pet,” Shane instructed, as N’Haru’s kisses graced the tip, and the boy’s lips suddenly parted around the head, and he slid down to the hilt. He could sense Lurion’s approval and arousal, and a hint of awe that suggested the other was impressed by their union and Shane’s control over his boy. N’Haru took him to the hilt, swallowing gently around it as he moaned softly, sending light and pleasurable vibrations into his length. Lurion moaned softly, tremulously, in pleasure in answer to it, arching his body to press as deep as he could, then withdrawing to press in quickly and firmly anew, beginning to pump forcefully into the Bpfassh boy’s mouth and throat.

 

“Ohh… wow, he’s… fantastic,” Lurion breathed the words as he channeled his Force into resisting the temptation and managed to restrain his arousal for two minutes before he started to pulse within beautiful grey lips. Soon, his release spilled out onto N’Haru’s tongue, and the younger male closed his lips around the head and sucked firmly, swallowing repeatedly before sliding to the hilt to draw out the last of it. Lurion pulled him up gently, lying him on the bed with his hips at the foot of it, sliding his cock quickly into the younger male’s ass as N’Haru’s hands slid around him.

 

“I promise to last long this time,” Lurion vowed, before his lips pressed forcefully and passionately into N’Haru’s and his hips started to move. He fucked him hard and deep, but not nearly as fast as he’d hammered the lips his own were now pressed aggressively, longingly against. Hands gripped the younger male’s ass tightly, holding him firmly, feeling the other male’s arousal grinding against his torso as he fucked him hard, the boy’s Master just a meter away, stroking his cock as he watched in satisfaction. N’Haru kissed him unhesitatingly, sensing his Owner’s arousal and burgeoning desire, the long strokes of the Miraluka’s pale shaft sliding into him lasting for nearly an hour before one final, forceful buck of his hips hammered it to the hilt. He arched and sighed in pleasure as the older male’s seed pulsed up inside of him, until he felt the older male slide out of him, and he took a deep breath.

 

He watched as Lurion moved around him, up onto the bed and between his Master’s Thighs, leaning down as Shane’s hand moved off his cock into chocolate-coloured hair. As Lurion’s tongue extended, he mimicked what N’Haru had done for him, worshipfully licking and kissing the younger male’s cock even as his ass rose between Shane’s ankles. N’Haru was not one to miss the opportunity, and collected the asyr-extract oil, pouring a few drops onto his fingertips and several onto his cock, fingers pressing into Lurion’s rump as he spread out the drops on his prick. Lurion moaned softly as he felt fingers slide into him, but made no objection even before Shane pulled his hair and pressed his head down, sliding his cock into the older male’s mouth.

 

“Mm, Lurion, you suck well,” Shane praised as he watched his boy continuing to prep Lurion, then watched as Lurion arched and groaned with his mouth full of Shane’s cock, as N’Haru’s length slid into him, “Pound him, slut.” At his Master’s command, N’Haru started to hammer his hips against Lurion’s ass, fucking him hard and fast, using his own energies to restrain his arousal for as long as possible. Even as the slave pounded into his ass, Lurion’s head rose and fell rapidly, enthusiastically on the Master’s cock, sucking hard as the Master simply sat back and enjoyed, hands in his hair. As N’Haru had done for him, Lurion moaned loudly on that cock, sending pleasant vibrations down into the younger male’s prick putting all he had into pleasuring the young man who’d welcomed him into their bedchamber. When Shane finally pulsed in his mouth, it caused a pulse of self-satisfaction from Lurion they could both sense easily, as he released onto Lurion’s tongue as N’Haru filled his ass with his seed. Shane’s hands slid down to Lurion’s arms, cupping underneath them and pulling him up as his boy slid out of that ass, pressing his cock into the older male’s ass where his slave’s had just been.

 

“Ride it,” Shane encouraged as his boy relaxed on the bed beside them, sprawled on his back and in arm’s reach from his Master’s position. Lurion wasted no time, his hips rising and falling on Shane’s cock fast and hard, fucking himself aggressively, his own cock hardening rapidly from the pleasurable sensations it generated in him. As he continued to fuck himself, he felt N’Haru’s lips around his prick again, and through Force Sight he saw Shane’s hands in N’Haru’s hair, felt those lips being firmly guided up and down in time with his own movements. The pleasure almost overloaded his senses, sucked and fucked simultaneously, thoroughly encouraged to cum at the same moment as Shane, and when they came, Shane filled his ass as he unloaded into N’Haru’s mouth for a second time. As the boy’s lips left his cock, and the Master’s cock slid from his rump, Lurion collapsed against Shane and blushed faintly while he pushed himself up a little.

 

“Sorry, I think I’m suddenly…”

 

“You can stay here tonight,” Shane offered warmly, pulling Lurion off him to one side, positioning the now mentally, sexually, and physically exhausted Miraluka between himself and his pet, “You’ve been through a lot.” Lurion smiled warmly at him, lips closing near Shane’s as the younger male touched his face, and allowed their lips to meet gently.

 

“It’s over now,” N’Haru whispered reassuringly in Lurion’s ear, as he pressed against the Miraluka’s back while his Master’s arms pulled him in against him. It did happen to be late, and as they shifted to move the covers from beneath them to over them, Lurion was fading from conscious rather rapidly. He felt safe, though, and that feeling of sanctuary emanated from him and solicited a blush from Master and slave alike, as well as a small feeling of triumph and intense self-satisfaction. At least one of the rescued prisoners would be en route to their recovery by morning; they could not all be helped in such a way, but it felt nice to know that they were able to help even one of them.


	17. Of Noble Intentions

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Shane and N'Haru return to Belazura, returning undercover to meet with Lord Hollis Zaer and Lord Delis Kalan...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Fair forewarning: This Chapter has high sexual content.

Once they had transferred the rescued pilots to a large warship and entered hyperspace, Shane made a point of reading the message that the young Lord Hollis Zaer had sent to him. It would after all be vital to deciding if he really wanted to collar the man or not, to know what he had to say about their encounter at the masquerade ball on Denon. As he lay nude on the bed, he had a hand in N’Haru’s hair, his boy’s head rising and lowering smoothly and slowly on his cock as he read the message from one who might wish to join the Bpfassh between his thighs.

 

 _Your Esteemed Grace Lord Laine Thorius,_ the message started, and Shane leaned back against the pillow, setting the tablet on the bed for a moment to rub his forehead and made a mental note to talk to the older male about embellishing if he decided to collar him.

 

_I would first like to say that it was my very great honour to dance with you; I believe it was the finest dance of my life, and you are phenomenal on the dancefloor. I have never followed before, but you lead so smoothly and it was sublime to feel your dominance and the force of your charisma as you manoeuvred our bodies throughout the dance. You are strong and virtuous, and though I know that you have chosen a woman to serve as your vassal, I would very much like the opportunity to earn the privilege of being your vassal, as well. It would be the truest honour of my life to serve as the vassal to a lord as noble as yourself, one who inspires loyalty even from the mighty warriors of your Mandalorian Guards. Please grant me the privilege of an opportunity to show that I would be a vassal worthy of service alongside your chosen Lady._

_Your willing servant and ardent admirer,_

_Hollis Zaer_

As he finished reading, his cock started to pulse in his boy’s mouth as N’Haru moved his lips up and down on the rod of his Master’s Phallus. He sighed softly in pleasure, tousling his boy’s hair as the Bpfassh continued to suck, lifting and lowering his head in a steady sequence.

 

“Okay, pet, go ahead and finish it up,” Shane said, and N’Haru’s head started to move fast and hard, bobbing hungrily on his Master’s already-pulsing cock until fresh jism surged into his mouth. N’Haru took it to the hilt and swallowed hard, drinking enthusiastically from his Master’s Length, eyes closing as he cherished the sensation as his Master let His Seed flow down His boy’s throat and into his belly. He sucked his Master dry before his lips slid up and off that length, licking it clean as he looked up at his Owner subserviently.

 

“Such a good boy,” Shane praised affectionately as he tousled his pet’s hair once more, motioning him up as he started to dictate a message to his girl into the tablet. He arched a little and sighed in satisfaction as he felt his boy’s ass slide down onto his cock, before he continued with the dictation even as his boy rode him hard and slow, instructing Lora to send a summons to Lord Delis Kalan for a business meeting. Once that was done, he sent a personal response out to Hollis Zaer, instructing him to meet him on Belazura at the Thorius Statehouse in two weeks, by which time they’d be back a couple days, themselves. Then he leaned back and smiled at his boy, watching as his boy rode him until that tight grey ass was full of his Master’s Seed.

 

* * *

 

On the day following their return to Belazura, House Thorius was host to two noble visitors when both an eager Lord Delis Kalan and an energetic Lord Hollis Zaer arrived in fanciful shuttles, though they by no means compared to Lord Thorius’ personal Crescent-class transport. As each walked down the boarding ramp and entered the hangar bay, his eyes focused on the transport with a bit of a marvel in his gaze as he watched Mandalorians practice nearby while engineers mounted weapons onto the transport.

 

“Ah, Lord Zaer, Lord Kalan, you are both timely and punctual in your arrival; excellent,” Shane replied, then followed their gazes toward the Crescent and smiled, “Ah, I see that you admire the Valiant.”

 

“A Crescent is a beautiful ship, Your Lordship, and the Valiant an honourable and virtuous name,” praised the younger of the two men, as he looked up at the ship, then turned doe-like irises toward Shane and looked on the Colonial Lord with a genuine interest. Shane could sense his interest, the depth and sincerity of his attraction, far more poignant than the interest of his somewhat older counterpart. Delis was interested, too, but he was interested in Lord Thorius insofar as what Lord Thorius could do to earn vassalage and then to further the interests of House Thorius primarily as a way to earn rewards for himself.

 

“Indeed so,” Delis concurred, “and I see your Lordship is wisely having the ship modified to include armament. Your Lordship must be well-connected, indeed, to receive imperial approval for your personal transport vessel to be armed.”

 

“Indeed, though there is also the element of that after the gala, the military made the request so that they would not be required to escort one meagre Colonial Lord around the galaxy,” Shane said with a chortle, and Delis nodded faintly.

 

“Then they have poor taste in the value of Lords, Your Grace,” Delis said deferentially, and Shane smiled slightly as he offered a lordly nod.

 

“Now, Lord Zaer, since you have travelled the furthest to be here, I will see you first. Lady Caine, please see that Lord Kalan is appropriately entertained while he awaits audience,” Shane said, and Lora nodded subserviently to her Owner. Meanwhile, Shane made a somewhat imperious ‘come’ gesture toward Hollis over one shoulder, the younger of the two visitors hurriedly moving to trail subserviently behind him and his slave, alike.

 

“Thank You for seeing me, Your Lordship,” Hollis said as they entered the manor, following subserviently behind the younger Lord, “Your home is beautiful, my Lord, and You have a most impressive slave.” Hollis hadn’t missed how relaxed yet subservient the slave was, how compliant and consistent as they moved through the hallways to the office of Lord Thorius.

 

“Indeed, it is almost as if he were born to be my slave. I think the same is true of some humans, though, wouldn’t you agree?” asked casually as they reached the door, which he opened, stepping in and motioning firmly toward a seat in front of his desk. Hollis was quick to enter and sit, listening as the door shut and locked as he looked up at the frosted glass of the windows, as Shane moved around and took a seat behind the desk.

 

“I read your message, personally, Hollis,” Shane started, remembering the contents vividly, “You spoke of wishing to be my vassal, even perhaps to be the male counterpart to Lady Caine, and of cherishing the dance we shared together.” The young Lord’s cheeks coloured as Shane spoke, but he nodded shyly and subserviently in answer to that statement.

 

“Indeed, Your Lordship; and I mean no disrespect to Lady Caine, she is an able and competent woman, but if Your Lordship should perhaps need a second vassal, it would be my greatest wish to undertake such a role,” Hollis answered.

 

“You are aware, of course, that Lord Kalan has come with similar purpose; I chose to see you first, because I do favour you over him, in that element. As all good Lords, I have sources, and my sources tell me you have far more in common with my interests, and the interests of House Thorius, than your fellow nobleman of the Inner Rim,” Shane continued unsubtly, and Hollis listened quietly, submissively, “So I wish for you to be truthful with me. I can assure you that all we discuss in this room will not leave it.”

 

“Of course, Your Lordship, anything You would wish to know, You have but to ask it,” Hollis answered reverentially, and Shane nodded.

 

“First, my sources tell me that you are inclined to allow a lover to take the lead, as you demonstrated when we danced on Denon. I suspect you very greatly desire me, that you desire to be Mine,” Shane continued, at which Hollis’ cheeks warmed to a light coral pink colour but he nodded demurely in answer, “Second, my sources tell me you have no great fondness for the Empire.”

 

“Your Lordship, I can explain; I do not dislike the…”

 

“Indeed, my sources tell me you have … rebellious ideations,” Shane continued, feeling the other’s nervousness as it emanated from him, “which brings us to why we’re sitting here with one another.”

 

“M-My Lord?” asked Hollis querulously.

 

“Of course, I do obviously understand your sentiments; who wouldn’t chafe beneath all the conceit and hauteur of the Empire?” asked Shane somewhat rhetorically, as he rose and turned toward the frosted glass of the window, signaling his slave covertly as he looked up at it. He felt Hollis seeming to relax a little in the realization that Shane was not an agent of imperial intelligence, though they could sense it as he tensed when the window suddenly turned black, casting the room into darkness. Outside the room, it would look as if nothing had changed, a clever holo-image of the room through frosted glass, making it seem as if anyone wanting to could continue to watch and be at least relatively aware of what was transpiring. A heartbeat later, incandescent lights glowed dimly, brightening until the room was lit by an amiable yellow light from several locations in the wall and ceiling.

 

“Hollis, I am not fond of the Empire, myself. Indeed, you could say I am a bit of a rebel,” Shane said, and immediately felt the relief it solicited in Hollis, “You never reached out to us, until you expressed interest in me. Of course, we will require a more earnest commitment from you than just your desire to be Mine.”

 

“What… You are with the rebellion, my Lord?”

 

“I am,” Shane confirmed, and felt the upsurge of relief from the other young man, who sighed heavily with the feeling.

 

“What do you need me to do?”

 

“You must align yourself as my vassal in the public eye, must transition into the role a servant of the interests of House Thorius, which I sense you are already interested in. You will,” Shane answered, “of course, reap the benefits of being the vassal of a Colonial House, as Lady Caine does. Lord Laine Thorius is a cover identity; as is the case with Lora, I will be your Owner and you will belong to Me. As such, you will know both My name and My boy’s name, but as is the case with Lora, you will be expected to use only the names of our cover identities until the Empire is vanquished.” Hollis listened subserviently, nodding his understanding.

 

“So there is no Laine Thorius, then?”

 

“No, and there is no K’Soku Trisk,” Shane answered, motioning his pet, “however, those are the only names of either of us that you must ever voice aloud. The privilege of our real names must be one you keep to yourself until the Empire has fallen and the Republic is restored.”

 

“Of course,” Hollis nodded a little in answer.

 

“Also, when we are in anything less than certain seclusion, you must address me as either Lord Thorius or by the use of an honorific such as your Lordship. A vassal obviously does not address his liege by their forename, only by their patronymic or matronymic, as dependent upon culture and circumstance,” Shane said, and Hollis nodded to indicate he understood and was familiar with such, “In privacy, if you are to be Mine, you may address Me as Master. Are we simpatico?”

 

“Yes, Master,” Hollis answered subserviently, receptive to the Dominance that Shane expressed, “totally understood. I promise to serve as your vassal with the same enthusiasm and fervour as your chosen Lady.”

 

“Lastly, you must also be subservient to my slave, for he has been with me the longest. Lady Caine is subservient to him, and if you are to be Mine, you must also submit to the rank and the authority of My slave that accompanies his seniority within My Ownership,” Shane warned, and Hollis nodded. Eyes of sparkling, fetching apple green flitted to the grey-skinned and blue-eyed younger male, making eye contact and then dropping respectfully to his hips, before he returned his attention to his newfound Master.

 

“Of course, Master, I understand,” Hollis answered, and Shane nodded in approval.

 

“Good boy,” Shane praised, smirking faintly as he sensed appreciation and saw a shiver of enjoyment passing through the older male, “Now, as Mine, you can of course certainly expect to see appropriate use; we will discuss the possible ways to ensure you are well-tended in my absence. I will, of course, need to know more about your preferences, your needs, your dislikes; obviously, you will be expected to allow my slave to have full use of your body, as well, because he outranks you.”

 

“Of course, Master, I understand,” Hollis repeated, with certitude, then turned his thoughts to the matter of preferences, needs, dislikes, “I am not a masochist, Master. I like a little bit of scratching and biting, maybe, but nothing more; I’m comfortable with being spanked as punishment, however.” He started with that because he felt like it was perhaps the most important part, admitting imperfection and a willingness to suffer something he wasn’t into and didn’t really like as a way to punish him if he was judged to have misbehaved.

 

“Excellent to know, thank you,” Shane said, before allowing his newest acquisition to continue.

 

“I do like being on the receiving end of pleasure, but I prefer to give it, and I like to suck… I, uh, like to suck a lot,” his cheeks tinted faintly as he said it, but he was confident in his sexuality and both Shane and his first boy could sense it easily, “I am also not attracted to women. So I would request that You not compel me to be intimate with a woman, not even Lady Caine; I would do it if You commanded, as You are my Master, now, but I would much prefer not to.”

 

“Then I shall not impel you to prove your devotion by doing so,” Shane answered, moving around the desk and letting a hand slip out to cup the older male’s boyish face, stroking his cheek with his thumb before running his hand gently across long strands of yellow, “Now. There is of course the promised providence of names; remember, these are names you must never express and must never search for, for as long as the Empire stands. My name is Shane Morris, his is N’Haru Olath, and the one truth universal is that he is Mine, I Own him, he belongs to Me, just as Lora does, and just as you are now also Mine.”

 

“Understood, Master,” Hollis answered subserviently, his hands moving gently to his Master’s lower thighs as he kept his eyes focused docilely on his Owner’s darker verdant irises; as Shane nodded, Hollis let his hands travel up slowly.

 

“Lastly, before we welcome you to My Ownership, you should also know that My slave and I are both Force-sensitive. You may have heard of such things, of course, and that is why you will travel with us only occasionally, only when I am undercover in the guise of Lord Thorius. However, we are also fighters, and we frequently battle the Empire in a more direct manner, and not exclusively through the clever application of the influence of Lord Thorius,” Shane said as His new boy unbuckled his belt as slowly and silently as he could.

 

“I understand, Master. You do it for our protection, Lady Caine’s and now mine, as well,” Hollis answered, and Shane nodded as Hollis removed his belt and hung it across the back of the seat he was sitting in before starting to unbutton and unzip his Master’s pants.

 

“You know, boy, I do have one of your colleagues waiting for a chance to earn the vassalage you’ve just earned,” he said, stroking His new pet’s hair affectionately as the older boy’s hands moved to pull his pants and boxer-briefs down until His Cock slid free, standing upright.

 

“I know, Master,” Hollis answered, looking up with enquiring subservience, and Shane nodded. As soon as he did so, the boy’s tongue extended and he started enthusiastically licking and kissing his newfound Master’s Cock as Shane’s hand continued to caress his scalp.

 

“Since I can see how important this is to you, though, I will permit you to tend to this before I summon a servant who will see to it you are provided permanent chambers unless you wish to continue to live on Tirahnn,” Shane replied as he watched Hollis worship his cock hungrily, admiring his ardour.

 

“No, Master,” Hollis murmured against his Owner’s Prick, “permanent chambers here would be wonderful.” He would retain his influence and authority on Tirahnn, obviously, being a nobleman of that world, but living with the Lord he now served would still be his preference, and an understandable arrangement. A vassal living with their liege was not unheard-of, even if that vassal was not a viable mate for the kind of procreative pact that Lora negotiated for herself. As Shane nodded, Hollis’ lips slipped sensuously up the underside of his Master’s Rod until they wrapped around the head and he took it in his mouth, sliding down on it eagerly. His tongue cradled the underside before rolling lovingly around it, savouring the taste of a new cock entering his mouth for the first time.

 

“Good boy,” Shane praised, feeling the shiver in the boy’s response to Him and grinning a little bit in satisfaction, as the seated nobleman sucked him firmly, bobbing his head slow and taking it to the hilt each time. He sucked well, and in a way Shane knew N’Haru was going to like, as this boy seemed to like sucking it slowly, savouring the experience of having his mouth full of cock. He purred softly into his Master’s Rod as Shane petted him while he was attending His Cock, sending pleasurable vibrations into it.

 

“You like sucking slowly, boy?”

 

“Mm, mm-hmm,” moaned Hollis in affirmation, and Shane grinned as he looked over toward N’Haru, who smiled in anticipation, rapidly unbuckling his belt, then unzipping and unbuttoning his pants. He slid them down as Shane got a good grip on the boy’s ponytail, bringing his thick shaft of grey into visibility while apple green irises looked up at their Owner, mouth still stuffed with cock.

 

“My boy loves it slow on his dick,” Shane said as he used the ponytail as a handlebar to pull Hollis back then shoved him down on it again, bucking his hips at the same time, “I like it fast and hard.” As he spoke he got into a rhythm of fucking his boy’s mouth swiftly and forcefully, feeling him cough and his throat spasm on his dick as he did, but not hesitating to continue pounding the seated male’s mouth. Hollis offered no complaints as his mouth was taken, hard, for his new Owner’s satisfaction, sucking as hard as he could on that cock as it hammered his throat repeatedly, taking it for nearly ten minutes before Shane pulsed on his tongue.

 

“You’re a good little slut aren’t you, boy?” asked Shane, and his boy’s cheeks coloured a warm pink even as he made no objection, closing his eyes as his Master’s Jism surged out onto his tongue. He drank eagerly, swallowing happily around his Master’s Rod as He fed him, lifting one hand to his Master’s Length to draw out the last drops and lick that off the tip before his Master pulled it from his mouth. A heartbeat later, he felt another cock sliding into his mouth, an entirely different taste to savour and he slid down on that cock without hesitation, sucking softly as he explored it and took in the new flavour.

 

“Mm, mmm…”

 

“He seems to like your flavour, pet,” Shane chuckled, and N’Haru nodded quickly. He arched his body, hips sliding forward as he pushed to the hilt in the boy’s mouth, riding his lips slowly and smoothly, as he found it incredibly easy to get into a satisfactory rhythm with another boy who liked the same pace and force as he did. As Shane zipped and buttoned his pants while enjoying the view, soon threading the belt into position and buckling it, one of his boys made use of the other, light-skinned hands cupping and grasping firmly at a grey-skinned rump. Hollis first whimpered upon it softly, before he started to moan first quietly but then with increasing volume, as he delighted in the act of sucking N’Haru’s rock-hard prick. Their unhurried synchronicity was beautiful to watch, a shaft of silvery-grey sliding through plush crescent lips of rich pink, the languid almost dawdling pace of the movements building their mutual gratification. For just over an hour, Shane leaned back against the desk and watched the pleasant show before him, watched Hollis demonstrate how comfortable he was with a nice hard dick in his mouth.

 

“You almost look better with a cock in your mouth than without one,” Shane observed as N’Haru’s cock finally began to pulse in Hollis’ mouth. The older male’s cheeks coloured pink with a blush as he continued to suck, bobbing slowly upon that thick grey shaft, even as it pulsed harder and harder. Finally, N’Haru gripped his head more firmly and held him in the desired position, honeysweet release surging out for what may have been as much as two minutes, as Hollis’ eyes opened and widened as he drank it with a palpable delight. He was quick to make sure he got it all when the thick stream of N’Haru’s climax ended, licking his lips longingly as that cock finally slid out of his mouth. Hollis even so wasted no time, hands moving to pull N’Haru’s pants up for him, zipping and buttoning them before quickly buckling the belt and looking up for approval. The Bpfassh smiled at him and stroked his scalp approvingly.

 

“You are allowed to speak when you’re not sucking cock, by the way, boy,” Shane advised, and Hollis blushed and nodded quickly in answer.

 

“Yes, Master. Thank You for permitting me to service him, Master. He is so…”

 

“Delicious? Yes, I know. You’re welcome,” Shane grinned and stroked Hollis’ mane himself, once more, “But don’t worry. I have every intention of finding out how you taste, too, my sweet little cock-slut.” Hollis’ cheeks coloured yet again, as he realized his Master meant to tend to him. Shane got the feeling that was a surprise to his new boy, and he had the very strong sensation that his boy had never been with a man that actually did care for Hollis’ pleasure as well as their own. He was looking forward to showing his boy just how well cared for the possession of a good Master had the right to expect to be.

 

“For now, though, boy,” Shane said, moving back behind the desk as N’Haru returned to his previous position, cutting the lights and allowing the illusory image to fade from the outside seamlessly. If anyone were spying on the statehouse, they would be none-the-wiser to what had just transpired, nor to the fact they’d been misled about what was going on in Laine Thorius’ office. From the outside, it would look simply as if the two had been in the same position for a little over an hour, before Shane turned and motioned for Hollis to rise.

 

“Come now, Hollis, we must ensure that you are properly situated in your own rooms in the residential wing. You’ll enjoy a room across from Lady Caine, of course, and later, we will work out someone who will ensure you remain in proper use whenever I am absent,” Shane said, and Hollis walked submissively behind his new Owner, alongside the slave who now outranked him. He didn’t mind, they had been with their Master longer after all, he was just honoured that he’d be permitted to be Lady Caine’s equal in the arrangement.

 

“Of course, Your Lordship,” Hollis answered demurely as they moved back into the hall and Shane summoned one of the household servants and provided instructions, “I will make my arrangements to transport personal effects here, Your Grace. Thank You for granting me the honour of serving as your vassal.”

 

“I have full faith that you will prove your worth in protecting House Thorius’ interests in the Inner Rim,” Shane said in answer, and Hollis nodded before following the servant tasked with showing him to his new room. Meanwhile, the young Lord Thorius turned to another servant and ordered that Lord Kalan be located and brought to the office for his own meeting with Shane.

 

“I wonder if he’ll want to suck your cock, too, Master,” N’Haru joked as soon as they were alone, and Shane chuckled a little bit in answer, looking at his boy with a smile, then letting it fade back into ‘serious mode’ as they waited while the other visitor was collected and escorted. When he finally arrived, Lady Caine accompanying him, he offered the young Lord Thorius an unctuous smile and dropped to a knee subserviently, for the brief heartbeat before Shane gave the motion to rise once more.

 

“Your Lordship has exceptional taste in décor, and in the selection of Your Lordship’s vassals; Lady Caine is a most exceptional hostess,” Delis praised, “and Your Lordship’s slave is a most magnificent specimen, as well.”

 

“Thank you; please, step into my office that we might speak,” Shane said, leading the way and the man quickly moved to the same seat as Hollis had been in not long before. Lora closed the door behind them before moving to take up a position opposite N’Haru and equidistant from their Master, simply on the alternate side of the room.

 

“I believe you had mentioned a desire to serve as a vassal of House Thorius, yourself, Delis?”

 

“Indeed, Your Lordship, and I assure You, I am willing to do anything Your Lordship may require for me to secure a place as Your vassal,” Delis assured him.

 

“Anything?” Shane queried archly, looking over a shoulder at the man with one eyebrow raised. He knew he needed to play hard-to-get on this one, to ensure that he did not seem too interested in the man’s vassalage; Delis had to feel as if he had earned it, had worked for it.

 

“Yes, Your Lordship; I am a skilled administrator, and as Your Lordship knows firsthand a skilled organizer and host of masquerades. I lack Your expertise in the training of slaves, obviously, but I can assure that with my service would come the service of Denon to the interests of House Thorius,” Delis voiced his resume in a deferential tone, though it was something Shane could sense he was proud of.

 

“All of Denon, you say?” asked Shane, feigning the faintest hint of piqued intrigue.

 

“Yes, Your Lordship, I am the most well-liked and respected nobleman on Denon; humility aside,” Delis continued, as he referenced a word Shane was rather certain he was unfamiliar with, “there is no Lord or Lady on my world who does not frequently seek out my counsel.” His words had the ring of truth to them, and neither he nor N’Haru sensed a deception in what he had to say for himself, about his qualifications in the possibility of serving as vassal to House Thorius.

 

“I see, that is an impressive qualifier, Delis, the ability to bring to the service of my House the concentrated efforts of a populous world such as Denon,” Shane answered somewhat imperiously, and Delis nodded enthusiastically, keeping his hands at his sides, perhaps as not to clench or wring them anxiously.

 

“Indeed, Your Lordship, and that is of course but the start of it,” he continued, “Your Lordship wise on the matters of business, yes? I am well connected to the industries of Denon, we could furnish Your Lordship with all that You might desire from manufacturing. Denon is a world with a diligent and focused workforce, one that could be put easily upon any task that Your Lordship might request of us, given the exertion of the proper influence.”

 

“The proper influence being?” queried Shane in answer, and Delis smiled.

 

“Yours, of course, my Lord; it would but be my voice used as the implement to give voice to Your command, but the influence and authority would be Yours. As Your vassal, I can offer you the service of the whole of my homeworld,” Delis promised. A planet was beyond what could be described as a worthy offer.

 

“I see. You make a very compelling offer, Delis, though you must of course be aware that I can employ only so many vassals, but,” Shane trailed off to allow the other to respond.

 

“Your Lordship, I could also… if it pleases Your Lordship, I would be… willing… to also service Your Lordship in a more intimate manner?”

 

“Clarify,” Shane commanded, turning his head to look over his shoulder at the man. Delis’ cheeks coloured a bit when the order was made, swallowing and looking away with a sudden shyness and a pronouncedly nervous discomfiture.

 

“I would… that is, Your Lordship, I would, ah…”

 

“Speak, Delis,” Shane ordered, and the man swallowed quickly.

 

“I would be willing to take Your Lordship’s Cock into my mouth and suck it, Your Lordship,” Delis blurted the words out at the younger Lord’s faltering patience, cheeks staining crimson, but there was truth in the statement, as well. He looked up nervously, as Shane lifted one eyebrow in a heightened and angular arch in answer, though his eyebrows rarely had so sharp an angle to them. His eyes followed Shane as the younger male moved around the desk and moved to stand in front of him, hands slowly moving in the direction of Shane’s belt as he swallowed once more.

 

“As I was saying, Delis,” Shane continued, doing nothing in particular to stop the man’s hands proceeding toward his belt, though they stopped on their own as he spoke, “I can employ only so many vassals, however, you have expressed strong reasons to grant you the opportunity to serve me. You will report to Lady Caine as a condition of your service. She will convey my expectations and what I desire from Denon in service to the interests of my House, as the mother of My Family’s next generation. If there are any incidents that should require my direct attention, these I hope will be minimal at best, she will keep me apprised of that matter. On a note of more personal opinion, Delis…” Shane paused to look down at the man, who swallowed and straightened his spine, bringing his hands away from Shane’s hips once more and putting them at his sides.

 

“I feel that one should never have to whore oneself out to earn the advancement into a position their merits demonstrate them to be worthy of holding. Even though I admire the ambition that would compel you to offering to wrap your lips about my cock and suck your way into my favour, as my vassal you must never in the future offer to prostitute yourself for deserved advancement. One should never have to give head to get ahead, Delis; if one must do such a thing, then one is in the employ of an asshole undeserving of their talents and merits,” Shane explained thoroughly, to which the older male nodded in receptive silence, hungrily consuming the words his Lord expressed to him.

 

“Understood, Your Grace. Your nobility… inspires me,” Delis said, fumbling for a word he wasn’t accustomed to the use of, and it came out awkward and yet also earnest. Shane had a feeling nobody had ever made him feel inspired in such a way before, and he had a somewhat smug sense of self-satisfaction to know it took a street urchin to remind an Inner Rim lord of the meaning of nobility.

 

“I am ashamed to say that I have been on your side of this position in the past, my Lord, and I was… of less nobility,” Delis admitted, and Shane sensed a shimmer of earnest shame.

 

“I suspect that now that you have been on the other side of the situation, you will treat the matter differently, yourself,” Shane said, and Delis nodded quietly.

 

“I will never accept such enticements again, Your Grace has my word, and on my return to Denon, it shall never again be viewed with tolerance there, I assure You of that, my Lord,” Delis promised, and Shane offered a cool, approving nod in answer.

 

“Good. For now, you may remain until tomorrow morning to rest and recover. Lora, please show our guest to chambers in the guest wing,” Shane replied, and Lora nodded.

 

“As You command, Your Lordship,” she answered, motioning for Delis to follow her and leading him quickly in that direction. He’d be far from anyone else, which meant he would be at no risk for discovering anything he wasn’t desired to learn by rebel intelligence, who had replaced the statehouse’s entire household guard and several servant positions. There were still a few genuine servants, who had been in service to Lady Thorius for decades, but the House was now bustling with activity, since her decision to commit to the rebellion and especially to rebel intelligence.


	18. The Lure of Three

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The crew of the Nighthawk lures the Inquisitrix into a diversionary ambush...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter begins with a moderately brief section of Villain POV, and ends with one, as well. The character whose point of view is being explored, examined, and expressed, is Sira Novali, Sith Inquisitor and a Lady of Baroli.

At approximately the same moment as Hollis was ordering his wardrobe and daily effects transferred from Tirahnn to Belazura, the diminutive Lady Sira Novali was arriving on the distant planet of Antemeridias. As she arrived, the Sith piloted the IR-3F vessel designated as _the Devastatrix_ toward the ground; she had a crew of eleven, admittedly, though she still preferred to pilot for herself. Below the ship, the hangar bay doors opened and allowed entry to the Inquisitor’s personal transport, which she felt was a handsome ship.

 

_Only thing I’ve seen that I’d call handsome_ , she thought to herself as the ship set down, then narrowed her eyes as an unbidden thought passed through it, _this and that damned Lord Thorius, rescuing a dozen rebel pilots right under my damned nose._ It irritated her, but it also irritated her that she found him attractive, she didn’t like to find her enemies attractive or even peripherally good-looking, but it would’ve been a lie to say he wasn’t… cute.

 

_Bastard_ , she thought to herself angrily as she powered down her ship and disembarked in a customary ominous mood that led her personal crew to avoid her assiduously unless she were in a rare good mood. Admittedly, she would have been highly unlikely to actually kill one of them unless they said something truly stupid, if primarily because her crew happened to consist of very competent personnel. It would have been … challenging … to find competent replacement personnel from within the pool of the imperial navy, as they seemed to train for quantity rather than quality.

 

As she proceeded into the facility, she considered the modifications she had made to her own weapons; she had made modifications to turn them into mimicries of the lightsai that zabrak she fought used. It was a solid weapon, and failing to acknowledge the weapon was an excellent idea because of who held it would’ve been purest folly, and she was not prone to acts of folly. She was prone to acts of unmitigated violence, absolutely, but…

 

“Mind manners; the malevolent midget maims as many modest minions as mutinous marauders,” came the voice of a trooper in a training hall, and her eyebrow twitched with agitation. It was a minor diversion, but one she never missed, rerouting into the room for just long enough to kill the man who’d made that alliterative remark and basically anyone unfortunate enough to have been in the room with him at the time. Of course, that turned out to be about two dozen members of the planet’s imperial garrison, but she wasn’t exactly apologetic about the fact as she deactivated her twin lightsais and holstered them once more.

 

“You’re going to need to order a couple dozen more storm troopers,” she advised the first officer she passed, “found a few that needed killing.” The officer stared after her wide-eyed for a few moments then swallowed before hurrying away, perhaps to make the requisition and perhaps to ensure he wasn’t added to the list of soldiers in need of replacing. She couldn’t really be certain, and didn’t really care for that matter, though it was true she had killed several hundred imperial soldiers, herself, over the years; her results spoke for themselves, though. There was also a certain element, within the Empire, who felt as if someone who mocked a Sith and was killed for it, had more-or-less gotten what was coming to them in that regard.

 

“Inquisitor Novali,” greeted a man as he stepped out and looked down at her, though making a point of not seeming to look down on her as he made eye contact, “What brings you to our fair corner of the Empire?”

 

“Well, it wasn’t the reports of the grand hospitality or the scenic vistas,” she answered coolly, “You know, you should really do something about that. A good advertising campaign would make a mountain of difference for your tourism.”

 

“Ah, y-yes, ma’am, we will, ah, look into that,” replied the planetary governor nervously.

 

“As for the actual reason for my visit,” she continued, “I received the report your little garrison has captured an entire platoon of rebel saboteurs. I have come to collect and interrogate these prisoners.”

 

“I see… of course you have,” he said, as if realizing there was little other reason she could have been sent to his world, “I will have them transferred here immediately. It will take two days for them to arrive, as we’ve been holding them in a secluded prison facility to ensure security.”

 

“Very good; I suppose, then, that I shall indeed have need to sample the grand hospitality, and perhaps even the scenic vistas,” she replied dryly, before an eyebrow arched as a man rushed down the hall toward them. He stumbled, falling flat on his face a dozen metres away with a crunch that sounded rather painful, hurriedly shoving himself up from the floor and rushing the last few metres to them.

 

“Governor, a rebel strike force has attacked Galidraan and taken hostage all residents of Galidraan Castle,” the man panted heavily, which solicited a lift of one eyebrow from Sira.

 

“A strike force of what size and composition?” she asked, seizing the considerably taller young man’s attention down toward her, “and from whence does this information originate?”

 

“Exact complement unknown, but the claim was made that it included three combatants, one wielding a staff and the other two wielding lightsabers,” the man breathed the words out heavily as he continued to catch his breath; “One of the castle residents was able to send a dispatch to this installation. He has not responded since, though whether he was killed or captured remains uncertain.” Her eyes narrowed and eyebrows furrowed as she heard the reference to three commandoes leading the attack, two armed with lightsabers and the last armed with what the soldier had assumed was merely a staff. It was a lightsaber pike, but she wouldn’t split hairs or skulls over the failure to recognize a lightsaber pike when it was inactive, particularly given the rareness of such a weapon.

 

“I will investigate this matter myself and return; order the prisoners brought here, governor, and keep them here until I return to interrogate them,” she ordered, turning and striding ominously back to her ship, giving off a sharp whistle that notified her crew of a change of plans. By the time she reached the ship, herself, it was powered up and ready for liftoff, with everyone aboard and the gunners already in their positions.

 

_It couldn’t be anyone else but him_ , she thought to herself as the hangar bay doors opened and the light frigate rapidly lurched into the air, accelerating almost before it cleared the hangar. She barely waited until they left the atmosphere to activate the hyperdrive to head to nearby Galidraan at the maximum velocity the ship would permit. Even while an ordinary IR-3F had no hyperdrive at all, the Devastatrix had been retrofitted with a Class 1.3 Hyperdrive to allow her to operate around the galaxy pursuant to her duties as an Inquisitor.

  

* * *

 

 

“The Inquisitor’s starship has entered the system,” T’Lor informed over an ear-communicator, and Kazenna nodded in answer to the statement as she looked toward the shackled governor, the only one not locked somewhere else in the castle. A witness was needed, after all.

 

“All right, pack it up and get ready to move, the guest of honour just entered the system,” Kazenna said. Onboard the Nighthawk, M’Kan sent off a notification that greenlighted the alternate strike team, and the mission would then begin in earnest. Even the hostage governor wouldn’t know about the transmission being made by the Nighthawk, he didn’t even know the ship was right there. They had attacked at night, killed nearly two hundred imperial infantrymen before the last dozen surrendered, the last of them Kazenna used Force Persuasion on to make him send exactly the message they wanted sent.

 

Even as the Inquisitor’s ship raced toward the planet of Galidraan, the twins extracted into the Nighthawk, as did both Sor’A and K’Cela, though they left unpleasant surprises around the castle. Once it was just the three of them, Kazenna nodded to her pupils, and they encircled the governor in a triangle before entering a period of recuperative meditation, to prepare for the battle ahead.

 

“Inquisitor’s ship is entering the atmosphere, now. An Imperial Star Destroyer has also just arrived, Gladiator-class,” M’Kan reported, as they listened to the increasing volume of the engines of the Inquisitor’s personal vessel. When the Inquisitor at last touched down, striding swiftly into the castle and observing the eerie lack of anyone to oppose such, they waited as she moved through the castle, until they reached the large room they were in. Shane didn’t really know what the purpose of the room was, but it didn’t matter much: maybe it was an audience hall or a ballroom. It was huge, with many large windows on either side, stairwells up at two corners; a plentitude of excellent exits as far as went the needs of the moment.

 

“You know, if you were truly so enthused to see me once more, you could have simply sent me an invitation,” observed Sira as she strolled into the room and noticed their meditative postures. She waited as they rose to their feet, drawing and activating her lightsabers before realizing the governor’s presence and closing her eyes for a moment before she made the obligatory observation.

 

“Have these rebel saboteurs injured you, governor?”

 

“No, Inquisitor,” the governor replied.

 

“You know, if you were so enthused to see me again, you could have simply sent me a message. I do have a Holo-Net address, I’m sure it isn’t hard to find,” she said as she focused her attention on the human opponent, before exhibiting that she’d modified her weapons into lightsais. Her eyes switched for a moment to focus on the zabrak as she held one up, examining it and then looking beyond it to Kazenna, then back to the weapon.

 

“Admittedly, it is not as lovely as yours, but, I just wouldn’t do justice to such a brightly bejeweled blue. I think this is definitely more my colour,” Sira added, “A fascinatingly simple yet efficient design, though, I must commend you on that.”

 

“Well, if you admire the design so much, perhaps you should pay her for demonstrating it to you; I think three and a half million credits sounds about fair,” N’Haru added, watching as Sira’s eyebrow twitched in answer to the statement.

 

“How about I spend that on the tombstone?”

 

“Sure, that’d work, but she won’t be needing one as soon as you will, so it might be a little awkward to accept such a gift,” N’Haru shot back coolly. She observed him intently for several heartbeats before she responded as she moved forward, closing the distance into combat range with all three of them.

 

“You know, I had heard you liked to make clever remarks; I must say, I am a little disappointed. You hounded Ogden about his size, I hear, but no comments on mine?”

 

“I try not to look down on my enemies,” he answered, which solicited a blink and a coughing chortle in reaction before he continued, “Besides, you and he have obvious differences.” As he spoke, he slid forward, bringing his staff across and forcing her into an early defensive as he pressed in on her, keeping her too far to hit him with her the sais, sliding his staff back whenever she attempted to trap it.

 

“Oh, do we?” she asked as she whirled and deflected another attack.

 

“Yes. You, for instance,” said with a thrust, then a sweep she was forced to somersault over, “are clearly not a gorilla.” His choice of words startled her long enough for him to land a painful smack in the stomach that threw her a couple metres to land on her back, though she used the inertia to roll lengthwise onto her feet and whip around. Eyes flitted, swiftly, to notice the positions of Kazenna and Shane, who were as opposed to each other as to N’Haru at that moment, encompassing her in a triangle.

 

“You,” he continued as he surged forward once more, their triangle gliding and rotating as necessary, “are obviously, not a lumbering ignoramus.”

 

“Oh, then what am I?” she asked, leaping over one sweep, deflecting a thrust and then ducking under a higher sweep.

 

“You are a soulless, ruthless murderess,” N’Haru replied coolly, calmly, as he forced her to twist and leap, spinning to deflect, as he launched a series of aggressive attacks. She was able to keep herself from being hit, but it prevented her from actually attempting to close to the point of reaching him with her weapon. As his Master moved in from her left, N’Haru abruptly swung backward, slamming the tip of his staff into the floor and rotating over it, away from her, as Shane’s shoto-blade slammed into one of her sai weapons. Their wrists twisted and angled as she sought to trap his blade and dismiss it, even as he refused to release it, twisting his own arm as he forced the weapon to remain in-hand. Simultaneously, she was doing the same with her other weapon, struggling to trap his long-handled lightsaber blade, and to keep it trapped. Finally, she extricated herself by rotating and kicking, using her opponent as a springboard and distancing herself by half a dozen metres.

 

Even as she landed in a braced crouch and slid a metre across the floor, Kazenna narrowed the distance, and the two entered what appeared to be a high-speed blur of bright blue and light crimson blades. Conflicting colours flashed and blades hummed as they hit one another, until Kazenna’s long-handled lightsaber and one of Sira’s lightsais both went skittering across the floor, in opposite directions. Each with a lightsai in hand, their confrontation continued to rage at close range, weapons humming as each struck toward the other with their free hand when the weapon was controlled.

 

As Kazenna’s lightsai skittered across the floor in the same direction as her blade, both hands came forward and struck Sira in the stomach, releasing a potent application of Force Push. Slung backwards across the floor, Sira slid smoothly across the stone until she pushed herself up, using the Force to summon her lost weapon back to her hand as she rose. As Kazenna reclaimed her own weapons, the Inquisitrix was pressed into the defensive posture once more as N’Haru swept in on her anew. Her lightsais hummed as she deflected strike after strike while two other opponents caught their breath while one denied her the same chance.

 

“You’re on the wrong side,” he said tranquilly as he launched one strike after another, with the rapid succession needed to keep her distant from him with her shorter weapons, “you are greeted with fear and revulsion wherever you go, you surrender yourself only to hatred and wrath.”

 

“Oh? And what are you greeted with?” she challenged, before he rolled his shoulders and offered a faint smirk, which only agitated her.

 

“All the warmth you could never comprehend for as long as you devote yourself to rage, prejudice, and cruelty,” was his earnest answer, which solicited a cross between a snarl and a roar as she fought to counterattack. He defended well even so, gracefully fading away ahead of her as she raged and thundered against him, until he leapt up and applied the Force, rising above her ability to follow until he landed on top of a ledge.

 

“You smug son of a...” she started, before suddenly being distracted as Shane’s lightsaber whirred down upon her and forced her into a defensive posture once more. She fell back a few steps, and began to press him through the room as she seized the advantage and channeled her aggression. Even as he withdrew with the same fluidic smoothness as his boy, she was an ever more volatile mass of churning fury that stormed against their defenses. As Shane weathered the onslaught, he allowed himself near a corner, only to leap directly upwards as she struck at him, nearly gouging a wall instead of him as he somersaulted over her. She wheeled to face him once more, then leapt and rolled sideward when Kazenna closed, ensuring she wouldn’t be trapped in a corner, before their lightsabers hummed and hammered against each other once more.

 

“You are indeed an excellent warrior,” Kazenna said, as their confrontation came as a flurry of light and kinetic impact, “unfortunate, it is, that you are on the wrong side, but fortunate for us that you are so poorly endowed in the Force.” It only riled Sira more, but that was what the zabrak wanted, as they continued to strike against one another for what seemed like minutes, before weapons skittered across the floor once more. Again, they struggled with one sai and one hand, until Sira’s second lightsai skittered toward the first and she swept backward and away, retreating with the use of reverse cartwheels, hands hitting the ground behind her and then her feet. Twice she repeated this until the noise of imperial engines was unmistakable, and Kazenna used the Force to summon her weapons even as Sira did the same.

 

Kazenna focused on her confidence, her affection for her pupils and her dedication to the rebellion, as she deactivated and holstered her weapons, then made a brief forward lunge. Her hands came forward, sparkling yellow-green before bolts of electricity raced from her palms and fingertips toward the Sith. Sira’s eyes widened and her arms reflexively jerked, blocking the electrical assault with her blades even as she was slung across the room by the force of the impact and slammed against a wall by Kazenna’s application of what the Jedi referred to as ‘electric judgment.’

 

“Let’s go! Everybody out!” she ordered, and the three of them raced up the stairs and leapt out through a window onto the ramp of the Nighthawk’s cargo bay. Bounding quickly inside beyond that, the ramp closed behind them, allowing the ship to rise invisibly into the night as K’Cela and Sor’A fired on the Inquisitrix’s frigate, disabling the engines and shields. As it smoked and burned, the Inquisitrix’s crew fled the burning ship into the downpour outside, rushing into the castle before they could be drenched to the bone by the heavy rain as the Nighthawk vanished into the gloom. As imperial dropships landed and storm troopers swarmed the castle, they found only dead bodies, hostages, the crew of the Devastatrix, and one unconscious Sith whom N’Haru suspected would be very, very angry when she woke.

 

“K’Shar, any news?” asked Kazenna, as soon as she had caught her breath.

 

“The imperial garrison on Antemeridias burns, all operatives extracted,” he reported.

 

“Casualties?” came Kazenna’s next query.

 

“Our side, six wounded, two dead but bodies recovered; their side, more than three hundred dead,” K’Shar answered as the ship swept into hyperspace and left the Galidraan system. The Inquisitrix would be quite displeased, indeed, to learn that she had been lured away so that her prisoners would be stolen once more, but for the rebellion, it was another small win.

 

“Galidraan and Antemeridias will no doubt remain in the Empire’s hands for years to come,” G’Brel added over the ship’s intercom.

 

“True, but these strikes serve a greater purpose. They strike fear in the hearts of imperial soldiers by inflicting a deadly strike upon what they perceive as two of the Empire’s safest strongholds in the Outer Rim, and hope in the hearts of all who would oppose the Empire’s tyranny and despotism,” Kazenna answered.

 

“Every victory is important, however small,” Shane observed, “even the smallest triumph shows the galaxy the Empire is not as infallible and insurmountable as it would wish us to believe.”

 

* * *

 

 

Even as the Empire’s dropships delivered reinforcements to reclaim Galidraan, the rebel presence had evaporated like mist in the heavy rain that filled the entire region, outside the castle walls. Around her, beyond her diminutive arms’ reach, a handful of officers were discussing how most wisely to rouse her as to not be killed for doing so, until their voices rattled her from unconsciousness. She groaned as her eyes fluttered open, pushing herself up to her hands and knees before rising, drawing her weapons to her hands and then holstering them. Then, she looked up at the men who stood in front of and slightly around her, taking a deep breath and straightening her rustled hair.

 

“Report,” she commanded in a calm voice, though she equal parts seethed at and admired on the fact that Lord Thorius had eluded her once more, along with what she assumed were a pair of pets.

 

“All rebel saboteurs escaped capture, Inquisitor,” said one nervously. She looked at him critically, narrowing her eyes and furrowing her eyebrows at him.

 

“I am aware, Lieutenant. I meant, report on the situation here in the castle.”

 

“Ah, of course, Inquisitor; the Governor is alive, though he… would appear to have fainted sometime in the course of your, ah, confrontation. All survivors have been located, stripped of weapons and armour in the case of castle guards,” the Lieutenant amended, “locked away in various rooms in the castle.”

 

“One hundred ninety-three killed in the fighting when the rebels attacked the castle,” reported another man, who bore the rank insignia of a Major, “an additional three hundred forty-two were killed while we cleared the castle.”

 

“… how did you manage to lose two companies with no one shooting at you, Major?”

 

“The rebel saboteurs laid dozens of traps throughout the castle while they were here, Inquisitor. We lost troops to fire, acid, and improvised heavy combat droids.”

 

“Clarify that last one, if you wouldn’t mind,” she prompted quietly, and the Major nodded.

 

“Of course, Inquisitor; the castle used to have one hundred suits of antique steel armour with close combat weapons. The rebel saboteurs filled these in with droid parts and programmed to be automatically hostile toward imperial armour or uniforms; more than half of our losses were suffered putting down these… _paladin droids_ ,” the Major said in reply.

 

“Clever bastards,” she said, before turning and starting to walk toward the exit as thunder rolled outside the castle.

 

“There is one minor additional… problem… Inquisitor,” the Lieutenant added, “As we arrived, the rebels… damaged, the Devastatrix. Our engineers are already working to repair it, but… it… will take about three weeks to complete the repairs and make the ship operational again.” She froze in place then, one foot raised, her eyebrow twitching in sudden agitation.

 

“Did you manage to hit the rebel ship, Lieutenant?”

 

“It was undetectable to our sensors and invisible to our eyes; however, there is… one small bit of good news,” came the Lieutenant’s tentative response.

 

“And what is that, Lieutenant?”

 

“All of us made it off the ship, Inquisitor,” replied her communications officer, a woman that was somewhere between seventy-two and seventy-three kilograms and roughly one hundred sixty-seven and a half centimetres in height, with blue eyes and black hair.

 

“That is… acceptable,” she said, as she strode away from every other living thing in the castle with a somewhat morose mood, until she reached a window, and looked out into the rain, with no other being within a hundred metres of her.

 

_You don’t know anything_ , she thought with some irritation, her thought directed at the slave of Lord Thorius, who had invaded her thoughts, _I feel more than just anger and hate. There’s annoyance, disgust, disappointment…_ She paused, glowering out into the heavy rainfall and the occasional flash of lightning, the soothing rumbling roll when the thunder followed it.

 

_… and there’s relief_ , she thought to herself as she revisited the discovery that her crew had survived, even if her ship was damaged. She’d never admit it, of course, but within the privacy of her own mind, she was thankful they managed to survive having her personal frigate blown to hell as it sat in the parking lot doing nothing to anyone.

 

_Jackasses; they better not have shot the nose,_ she thought to herself with renewed agitation, as she’d only just managed to get the seat’s adjustments precisely where they needed to be to be comfortable for someone of her height. She made a mental note that the next time she saw Lord Thorius, if it was at a ball, she would ‘accidentally’ step on his foot, and ask which member of his crew decided to shoot at her ship while they were leaving.

 

_Well, at least I am stuck on a secure planet, with better scenery than Antemeridias, any-_

 

Her thoughts froze there, eyebrows furrowing and eyes narrowing as she processed, and then screamed into the wind, rain, and thunder, as she realized she had been lured from Antemeridias. There would certainly be more news to irritate her, as a younger messenger ran down the hall toward her once he found her, sometime a few minutes after her scream.

 

“Inquisitor, we just…”

 

“…received a message from Antemeridias?” she interjected, and he blinked and looked at the tablet in his hands, then up to her.

 

“Yes… they said that…”

 

“A rebel strike team hit the garrison?”

 

“Yes…”

 

“Killed a large number of imperial soldiers?”

 

“Yes…”

 

“Extracted all the captured rebel intelligence operatives?”

 

“… yes …” came the subsequent reply once more, sounding slightly more awed every time she already knew what he had come to tell her.

 

“… of course they did,” she observed dryly as she turned back toward the window and scowled out into the downpour, “You may go.” She wasn’t feeling especially magnanimous at the moment, but she also found the feeling of his awe was sort of fascinating and enchanting, so she decided not to shoot the messenger for being the bearer of bad news.

 

“As you command, Inquisitor,” he answered deferentially, bowing somewhat obsequiously and then hurrying away to resume his duties. She suspected it might prove to be a surprise to his fellows when he returned alive, intact, with all of his limbs still attached, after being sent to bring more bad news to a Sith Inquisitor that had killed a few hundred imperial soldiers, herself. Still, awe was…

 

_Damn you, so maybe you do know something you little bastard_ , she thought with agitation as she focused her thoughts on the slave of Lord Thorius once more, realizing that he was right about how people responded to her. Then her mind turned toward that bloody zabrak woman.

 

_You know, sometimes it’s nice being weak in the Force_ , she observed to herself: being weak in the Force, she actually sensed another’s emotional reactions to her only rarely. Of course, it also meant she had to be a far better huntress and tracker than her fellow Inquisitors, some of whom could track another Force-sensitive from light years away unless it was one as weak as she was. Even so, even her fellow Inquisitors usually gave her a wide berth: she had established her skill in close combat to the point that even if they were stronger in the Force, they would generally not attempt to aggravate her, especially not inside a confined space.


	19. Dauntless Moxie

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Shane and N'Haru take the Valiant on a daring mission.

On their return to Belazura, they found that Lady Windmere Wellen was waiting for them once more, and as the crew of the Nighthawk strolled down the boarding ramp, she stepped forward.

 

“A word, your Lordship?” she said, maintaining her cover as an affluent merchantwoman who had by success earned herself the status of being a low-level noblewoman, “In private?”

 

“Of course, Lady Wellen; I always have time for my foremost transport, importer and exporter,” Shane replied, and a kindly smile and a nod indicated he was on-point with his undercover efforts, even in the perceivable security of House Thorius. Once more, he led the way and she followed behind him and behind his slave, until they reached his office, where she took a seat and he stood before the frosted glass window, facing her as his pet closed the door behind them. As they walked and then entered the office, Kazenna accompanied them as well, though she made a point of standing in a part of the room where the window positions obscured her presence completely.

 

“I am afraid we have need of you for a particularly perilous purpose, one our intelligence analysts are confident would greatly advance the goals of the rebellion by weakening the Empire and weakening two of the other key players of the galactic stage,” she said immediately.

 

“What makes it so perilous?”

 

“Lord Laine Thorius must travel through an area where he will be imperiled by one of those key players before being captured and taken hostage by the other,” Windmere answered, “Lord Laine Thorius must announce that he is going to be travelling to Du Hutta as a goodwill envoy on behalf of the Empire. We have leaked information to the Anjiliac Kajidic of the Hutt Cartels, and to the Black Sun Syndicate, that Lord Laine Thorius is a high-value imperial nobleman of considerable repute and significant import. Under the threat of a risk of widespread loss of support from throughout the Colonial nobility, the Empire will be forced to respond to the abduction of the Colonial Lord who earlier this year organized a charity gala for children all across the galaxy.”

 

“Oh, well,” was all Shane had to say in answer. What else _did_ one say?

 

“You will need to be unarmed, of course, because Lord Thorius is not a fighter. N’Haru, also, will need to be unarmed. It will be vital that you Persuade the Black Sun representatives to make the ransom demand be for the release of the Valiant and all hands,” Kazenna added, “and make sure the Mandalorians priority-target the Hutt vessels. The Anjiliac Kajidic is affiliated with the Desilijic Kajidic, even if this action will be peripherally on their own. The hostility toward a nobleman of diplomatic intent and the loss of the ships will perceptibly diminish the Hutt Cartel, in both credibility and practical military strength.”

 

“It will also strengthen your cover identity: even if the Empire were to late suspect you of being a rebel agent, they’d be loath to admit they had rescued, or worse yet paid a hefty ransom to save, a rebel spy,” Windmere added. She also chuckled with a bit of amusement at how much the Empire would lose face if it were forced to admit to such a thing.

 

“So, you need me to get captured without making it look like we’re just handing ourselves over, trick the Black Sun’s leaders without anyone noticing it and shooting me, wait to be successfully ransomed or in greater likelihood rescued at tremendous personal peril, and then go aboard an imperial ship. Is there anything else?”

 

“Well, since you’re offering,” Windmere added, “in the event you gain the freedom to wander the ship sent to rescue you while en route back to Belazura, there is one small thing.”

 

“Of course there is.”

 

“Hey, you asked. I was going to mention it anyway, but you did ask,” Windmere replied, “if the ship that comes out to affect your rescue is a Star Destroyer, there is a device being placed in your quarters on the Valiant. It would be of great benefit to the rebellion if you were to affix this device to some discreet part of the ship’s computer core, creating a long-range encrypted data-mine.”

 

“Wouldn’t that put my cover at risk?”

 

“It will if you get caught while planting it, yes,” Windmere admitted, “once it is in place in an appropriate location, it will be undetectable until the self-destruct mechanism is activated. It will self-activate twelve hours after it is placed; the self-destruct will reduce the device to a pile of metal and silicon dust, which will likely be cleaned by maintenance droids without being discovered prior.”

 

“If the opportunity should arise, I will attempt it,” Shane assured her, and she nodded before rising once more. At her rise, he moved around the desk and shook hands with her, then motioned her out and proceeded out of the room with his slave once she and Kazenna had slipped from the room. He could sense his slave’s anxiety at the prospect, but he was confident they could do it, even if it would be a considerable test of their ability to link together and tap into the Force as one. It was important to the rebellion, however, to weaken two future challenges to galactic freedom as well as diminish the Empire in some manner, and so Shane was willing to do it; he knew his boy would come with him.

  

* * *

 

Following the advice of Lady Windmere, Shane had a press release circulated on Belazura which soon became galactic news, announcing Lord Thorius meant to travel to Du Hutta as a goodwill envoy on behalf of the Empire. It received considerable attention, though the Empire did not send an escort to accompany the armed personal transport.

 

“Approaching the ambush site now,” reported the Mandalorian pilot, nearing the Dakaret system of the Oktos sector, where the Empire had a fuel depot near Hutt Space to supply fuel to official imperial vessels, civilian trading vessels, and Hutt vessels entering the Empire for whatever reason.

 

“Everyone ready for this?” asked Shane, “Aim for the Hutt ships first, eliminate them before you start firing upon the Black Sun warships, no matter what they are or how many they bring with them. Only shoot at Black Sun warships if they bring overwhelming force or it looks like they’re going to win by too great an extent.”

 

“Command confirmed; look sharp, boys, we’re about to drop out of hyperspace and head for the fuel depot, precisely on schedule,” reported the pilot, as the other Mandalorians took up positions at the various gunnery stations to allow a maximum amount of the modified weapons platforms to come into use. There were no gunnery positions, per se, as on some ships where there would be a seat with a window, but the Mandalorians made due with it as they dropped out of hyperspace and proceeded toward the imperial fuel depot at subluminal speed.

 

“Dakaret Fuel Depot, this is the Valiant transporting His Noble Grace Lord Laine Thorius en route to Du Hutta. Our fuel reserves are low and we are on approach to refuel,” announced the pilot. It may have been the exact wording, or the ambushers might have just been waiting for any indication whatsoever that Lord Thorius’ ship had actually arrived in-system. Almost instantaneously, two Kossak-class Frigates swept into view as they came out of hyperspace roughly two hundred thousand kilometres away and making a rapid approach. These were flanked by three DP20 Frigates, a Dreadnought-class Cruiser, twenty Nimbus-class V-wing Starfighters, and ten M22-T Krayt Gunships.

 

“A beautiful sight, that; M22-T Krayt Gunship,” marvelled Groff, appreciatively, and Shane nodded his agreement. It was a lovely starfighter; pity these particular ones were being used in service of the Hutt Cartel.

 

A moment later, the Black Sun Fleet arrived, spearheaded by a pair of stolen MC80 Liberty-class Star Cruisers flanked by four AEG-77 Vigo armed transports. These ships were accompanied by twenty Gozanti Cruisers, sixteen Rihkxyrk-class starfighters, sixteen Supa-class starfighters, and forty Kihraxz-class assault starfighters.

 

“We are being hailed; it’s one of the Hutt Frigates,” the pilot said, pulling it on-screen to reveal the visage of a Hutt; not an especially pleasant sight, the expression was nevertheless something that looked like an attempt at politeness. Even from the distance, Shane sensed the deception oozing from the massive slug.

 

“Lord Laine Thorius, welcome; we have come to provide you with an escort, in light of the Empire’s failure to provide one, to Du Hutta. If you would but command your pilot to bring the ship in to land in out cruiser’s hangar bay, we…” Even as the Hutt spoke his lies, the Black Sun Fleet moved into an engagement position, starfighters slicing past the Valiant on all sides as they moved to attack the Hutt forces. The communications channel cut, and Groff looked over at him with an eyebrow raised.

 

“Change of plans, boss?”

 

“Change of plans,” Shane confirmed, “Open fire.” As the battle raged about them, the pilots manoeuvred the ship with near the same smoothness and efficiency of a starfighter, firing at Black Sun ships that had made the error of ignoring the armed transport. Simultaneously, the Mandalorian gunners fired on starfighters from both sides, depending on the side whose starfighters appeared to be winning. It was with some personal pain that they targeted the Krayt gunships when they had to, those being of beautiful Mandalorian engineering and they being Mandalorians. Even so, the varied starfighters thinned out within the first ten minutes, resulting in a violent firefight of ship-to-ship combat that tore the Hutt Fleet to ribbons. Even as the larger vessels engaged, the Mandalorian pilots continued to manoeuvre them through the battlefield, firing on and ultimately finishing-off many of the Gozanti cruisers, before the last Kossak-class Frigate exploded brilliantly.

 

As the sole object of attention remaining, the Valiant ceased firing at Shane’s motion, and a moment later, there was a hailing beacon lighting up on the console at the front of the ship.

 

“We are receiving a hail… opening a channel,” stated one of the pilots. A moment later, a bluish image of a man in a hooded robe appeared, concealment of identity was of vital importance for high-ranking officers of the Black Sun, as it was a secret organization. The opportunity Lord Thorius presented, however, was not one to be let slip past them.

 

“Lord Thorius, I presume. I am… you may call me Agent 12,” said the man.

 

“A fascinating designation,” Shane replied, observing to himself that rebel intelligence was far better at the fashioning of cover identities. He didn’t know what he would’ve thought if they’d tried to label him ‘agent 414’ or something.

 

“Your vessel is quite surrounded, _Your Grace_ ,” 12 said, his vocal tone taking on a somewhat patronizing element with the last words, “fortunately for you, however, we are not here to kill you. No, we need you alive; you see, you’ll fetch a fine price when we ransom you back to your Empire. If you surrender, we will not be forced to destroy your ship or kill any of those who travel with you; if you surrender, command your pilot to land in the hangar bay of my ship, I’ve taken the liberty of opening the door for you.”

 

“Your hospitality is inspiring,” Shane replied dryly, “take us into the hangar bay.” The pilot nodded in answer, guiding the ship until it was in the hangar bay and the hangar bay doors closed securely behind them as they landed. Outside the hangar bay, six hundred men waited with blaster rifles in combat positions as the ship touched down and then the boarding ramp lowered. The Mandalorian squad moved out, armed and ready to fight if it were the young Lord’s command, or if, alternatively, any member of the Black Suns fired toward Lord Thorius, for that matter.

 

“An impressive demonstration, Lord Thorius,” 12 said as he stepped through the mass of soldiers as Shane and N’Haru strode down the ramp last, “A whole squad of Mandalorians in my custody.” He approached, speaking patronizingly as he did, until he stood in front of Shane and looked at him directly, dark grey-brown eyes meeting Shane’s verdant irises. He didn’t radiate hate or anger, despite the losses the Valiant had inflicted, as perhaps that was to be expected, only cockiness and greed.

 

“A pity we couldn’t meet under more amicable circumstances; I suspect in a different situation, you would be a most compelling patron. You must be, to inspire the service and loyalty of Mandalorians, after all,” 12 went on, as Shane simply listened to him drivel and dither.

 

“Shall we simply stand here, until the Empire arrives, or do you have… _guest quarters_ , for your… _guests_ , Agent 12?”

 

“Ah, yes, of course. One cannot be expected to stand for several days while we await the Empire’s payroll couriers,” Agent 12 acknowledged grudgingly, “Obviously, a Lord could not be expected of any such thing.” His condescension was more than clear, but he paused when Shane’s slave moved to walk with him.

 

“You must…”

 

“He is my personal attendant. You would surely not show such inhospitality to a guest as to deny a Lord his personal servant, would you?” interjected Shane with a tone of sublime disapproval and mild indignation. The man seemed to consider it for a moment, examining the servant in question and then taking a breath, motioning over two men.

 

“Search them,” Agent 12 commanded, but then quickly amended as one’s hands moved to Shane’s shirt-buttons, “Not like that, you… just make sure they don’t have weapons, explosives, or communications devices.” Hands on Shane’s chest corrected and moved as his hair was pulled one way then the other, ensuring no ear-mounted communications, hands patted down his body slowly and firmly. He allowed one eyebrow to rise questioningly at Agent 12 as the hands of the man searching him felt as if they lingered inappropriately at his hips and rump, before they continued down to his ankles and boots.

 

“Really, Agent 12?” asked Shane peremptorily, and the man cleared his throat as the two men returned to him to report nothing beyond the expected in either case.

 

“ _Apologies_ , your Lordship,” 12 said haughtily, “one cannot be too careful.”

 

“One very much can. I am a Lord of the Colonies, not some imperial assassin,” Shane replied firmly, “If I happened to be an imperial assassin, I would certainly not be standing here… _enjoying_ your _hospitality_.”

 

“… Your Lordship may make an accurate point,” the man conceded, though he could sense some agitation in the man.

 

“Now, where do you intend to house my personal guard? As you point out, Mandalorian Guards are … hard to come by,” Shane replied, and the man nodded.

 

“For security purposes, they will be … permitted … to remain with your ship,” he replied calmly, “Come with me. I have … alternative, accommodations, for you, Your Grace.” Shane nodded and took a breath, turning his attention to Groff and his squad.

 

“Remain her, commander,” Shane instructed, and Groff nodded, motioning for his soldiers to lower their weapons and return to the ship. Soon, Shane and N’Haru followed the man out of the hangar and into a hallway that had almost no one in it, except their ‘captor,’ and two guards to escort two ‘guests.’ As they rounded a corner, Shane stopped in the hallway, as did his pet, and 12 half-turned with an inquisitive glint in eyes that were all of him they were able to see.

 

“Is there a problem, Lord Thorius?”

 

“Indeed there is, Agent 12,” Shane replied Forcefully, channeling the Force into his words, “I require something from you if we are to continue.”

 

“Yes?”

 

“I require your assurance that my soldiers and servant will not be harmed or forgotten in this,” as he spoke, he rose a hand and moved it smoothly through the air, “You must command that the Mandalorians are not to be harmed. Your ransom must be for the Valiant and all passengers at the time of its’ capture.” Even the escort personnel standing with them were caught up in the shimmer of the Force, and grey-brown eyes blinked slowly at him. There was a long instant of silence as the man’s mind processed Shane’s command, then he shook his head a little and lifted a hand to his hood.

 

“I must have become distracted for a moment. Something occurred to me: your cooperation is vital to ensure that we receive the ransom we ask for,” he said, then led the way promptly to a nearby communications room, sending out an announcement ship-wide, “Our Mandalorian guests are not to be harmed, nor is our noble guest’s personal attendant.”

 

Once he was done, he turned and resumed leading them through the ship, looking over his shoulder at Shane, briefly, before descending by turbolift to a different deck. He continued to lead the way until they reached a door that possessed an unassuming appearance, and he motioned toward it.

 

“A modest bedchamber, _Your Grace_ ,” came the condescending remark once more, “and worry not, when the ransom is paid, you and your underlings will be permitted to leave in the Valiant to cross to the ship that comes to ensure your reacquisition. I must say, you should have _demanded_ an imperial escort, you might have had the firepower to prevent your capture in that case; get in.” At their host’s urging, Shane walked into the modest bedchamber, trailed by N’Haru, and the door was closed and locked from the outside. A few seconds later, the sound of footsteps was audible, fading, until they were completely alone.

 

“Well, that went well,” observed Shane, “I can’t wait to see what they expect us to eat.” The hidden subtext was that he suspected they would give them something they would think of as punishing the nobleman, not realizing it would still probably be better than what they had eaten most days on Bpfassh, growing up.

 

For about three days, they set in the same system awaiting the Empire, during which it turned out they were provided food that was decent enough. It took them a few hours to disable all in-room surveillance, much perhaps to their hosts’ dismay, but when nothing else came of it, the Lord was allowed his privacy. Even if 12 made a point of visiting them personally to tell them there was a strange malfunction in some systems in their room, a subtle application of Force Persuasion convinced him to accept it, however grudgingly.

 

Finally, when the Empire’s vessels did arrive, they were quickly returned to the Valiant, though for reasons largely unknown to the crew, the prisoners remained unshackled. The Mandalorians were required to leave their arms in the ship, but they were allowed to stand freely, as well as their Lord and his servant, being perceived as noncombatants.

 

“Agent 12, we are receiving a hail from the imperial ship; patching it through now,” informed a man in another room, over the shipboard intercom. A moment later, a woman’s voice replaced it.

 

“This is Captain Dolna Haile of the imperial warship _Mulhulos_ ; I have been informed that you have taken Lord Thorius hostage and wish to negotiate his secure return to the Empire,” came the voice as she introduced herself, a voice which was unfamiliar to Shane.

 

“A ransom of thirty million credits is required to secure release for the Valiant and all hands thereupon,” replied Agent 12, coolly, “This is nonnegotiable. You pay the full ransom for the full relinquishment of the Valiant, or Lord Thorius dies.” There was a long moment of silence.

 

“Acknowledged; the Empire does not abandon our citizens, and certainly none so esteemed and respected. We require one hour to solicit the transfer of the appropriate funds to a credit chip,” came the reply, though Shane sensed a slight hint of deception that warned him that they were likely going to attempt a rescue, instead.

 

“You have all the time you need. However, you should be aware that any attempt to bring in additional warships will result in Lord Thorius’ immediate execution and cessation of negotiations,” Agent 12 replied.

 

“Quite fair,” was the terse answer. An hour later, an imperial shuttle entered the hangar bay and landed, from which a set of three imperial soldiers emerged, accompanied by a diminutive, and very familiar, face. Even so, Shane allowed no hint of recognition to cross his expression, nor did his slave, as she examined the circumstances and seemed to take an estimation of all she beheld.

 

“And you are?” questioned Agent 12 coolly.

 

“Inquisitor Novali,” she replied curtly as her eyes cut across to Agent 12, “I was specifically selected to affect the safe return of Lord Thorius to his homeworld.” A half-truth, Shane sensed, and logically deduced that the truthful half was not the part about being specifically selected, as she’d probably either volunteered or demanded it. Even as she spoke, her diminutive size served as a valuable diversion as the Mandalorian squadron slowly inched their way towards the Valiant, then stealthily slid inside it.

 

“His Lordship is a valued and honoured nobleman of the Empire,” lied Sira, even as Shane could sense she felt intense agitation at the circumstances they found themselves in right then, “He represents the virtue and honour of all members of the Empire’s nobility.” Another lie, she lied as fluidly as she breathed, and it was impressive in its’ own way, albeit at least the most recent lie was a charming one.

 

“Yes, yes. I am certain that he does,” Agent 12 replied somewhat impatiently, “Do you have the credit chip?”

 

“Yes,” she replied curtly, producing it and extending it to the man, who took it and handed it to another man, who had a device to check it and examine it thoroughly. Even as he was doing so, all eyes remained on the little Inquisitor even as Shane and N’Haru stealthily moved into the Valiant while the Mandalorians took up positions.

 

“Legitimate chip, no tracer programs, no cyberwarfare viruses, just the thirty million credits,” the man reported, before handing it back to Agent 12. The Black Sun officer’s eyes widened abruptly as a luminous shimmer of light crimson filled the air, a hum and a glimmer of motion as all hell broke loose, in a manner of speaking. The imperial soldiers opened fire, practically executing nine of the Black Sun soldiers even as Agent 12’s body dropped lifeless to the floor from the wounds of being impaled on two lightsais simultaneously. As blaster fire erupted, her weapons glowed bright as Mandalorian slug-throwers released deadly rivers of hot metal that tore into Black Suns soldiers as their weapons’ fire glanced off heavy, sturdy Mandalorian armour. Even as Shane observed, under the covering fire of the Valiant’s cannons, the line of Mandalorian soldiers moved forward, expanding to provide heavier fire even as imperial soldiers fell for lack of proper armour. Meanwhile, hate and rage fueled the Inquisitor as her small but lethal frame tore through the Black Suns in close physical proximity to her, carving a swath through them. It did not elude his notice, however, when Groff swiftly ducked and rolled, swiping the credit chip the Empire had feigned to use to pay the ransom.

 

As Black Suns fled the room, the imperial shuttle exploded in the hangar bay after absorbing far too much fire from the enemy as they tried to hit imperials and the Inquisitor. Her hand forced, the Inquisitor turned, her hate and anger at least temporarily exhausted with a few hundred enemies dead from the impromptu battle, and raced to boarding the Valiant. She leapt into the ship gracefully and the boarding ramp sealed the ship tightly behind her as it lifted off, and then accelerated rapidly out of the hangar bay even as the doors were shutting.

 

“We are being hailed,” their pilot said as the Venator-class warship came into view, ignoring the pun of the fact they were being hailed by a woman named Haile, “opening a connection.”

 

“This is the Mulhulos to the Valiant; Valiant, please respond.” As her lightsabers were deactivated and holstered, Sira turned narrowed irises onto Shane, who motioned casually toward the front. She strode forward and then touched the console to activate it.

 

“This is Inquisitor Novali. You are all clear, Mulhulos, priority passenger is securely aboard, and we are returning to you now,” she said, before the ship shuddered violently as a shot from the Black Sun vessel hit it, “However, we could use some assistance, as the Black Sun seems to have decided to kill us.”

 

“Understood,” replied Captain Haile, terminating the communications channel as the Venator moved to intercept the stolen Mon Calamari warship.

 

“Evasive manoeuvres,” Shane commanded, and the ship suddenly pitched and wove violently to evade the gunfire as Mandalorians took up their gunnery positions, firing directly on the guns of the Black Sun warship. After a few minutes of fire exchanged between the Mulhulos and the nameless Black Sun warship, the latter exploded brilliantly and then the Valiant slid into the hangar bay of the Mulhulos, and the official presumption of safety.

 

As the boarding ramp opened, Sira scowled angrily at Lord Thorius for a few seconds before she took a deep breath, forcing herself to calm in the interest of her own future glory. She descended the ramp, followed by the Mandalorians, and only thereafter followed by Shane and N’Haru, who looked toward Sira expectantly. Piercing blue irises focused on them, before she turned and motioned away the soldiers that had assembled to ensure her personal security as she returned to the ship.

 

“Lord Thorius and his crew have been safely recovered, Captain Haile, and are now securely aboard,” Sira informed the captain via the shipboard intercom, “Set a course for Belazura immediately.”

 

“Understood, Inquisitor,” came the brief but courteous answer.

 

“Lord Thorius, if you will kindly come with me, I will show you to quarters befitting your station, with quarters of an appropriate proximity for your personal guard, of course. This way, please,” she said, tersely leading the way out of the hangar bay and into a corridor, maintaining a somewhat stony silence as she walked through the ship. She behaved as if it were normal, her leading a squad of armed Mandalorian rebels and two rebel spies through the ship, but didn’t say anything until they reached their destination. Once there, Sira followed them into quarters far more lavish than those on the Black Sun ship, and sealed the door behind her. For a moment, she was silent, as she moved through their provided chambers disabling surveillance in the guest chambers, ostensibly because spying on an imperial Lord would be improper. Finally, she returned to looking at them crossly.

 

“You know, that was some manipulative shit,” Sira said as she glowered at them, radiating agitation and just the tiniest shadow of admiration, “I would expect some shit like that from another Sith, you smug son of a bitch.”

 

“Oh?”

 

“Don’t play coy with me; forcing me to rescue you? Are you serious?”

 

“I try not to be, it’s not a lot of fun,” Shane answered.

 

“Give me one good reason I shouldn’t kill you right now and then just reveal that you’re with the rebellion?”

 

“I’ll give you three. First off, we’re unarmed. It would hardly be glorious to admit that you found two deadly enemies whom you couldn’t beat in a fight so you assassinated them. Second, you would need to explain just how you know we are with the rebellion, which would then require you to admit that you withheld that information from whoever it is you report to,” Shane replied, “I’ll go ahead and assume that’s frowned on. Third, back to glory: you assassinate us here, we’ll become martyrs to countless members of Colonial nobility who won’t believe we were rebel Force-users. It would be unfortunate if history remembered you as a cowardly assassin and not a courageous warrior of the Empire.” He felt a spike of hate accompanied an uncomfortable twitch of acknowledgment, and she growled faintly under her breath for just an instant.

 

“Fine, then, you peculiar smart-ass,” she said grudgingly, “Enjoy your stay on the Mulhulos. It shouldn’t take the ship unusually long to return you to Belazura, Your Grace.” She turned on her heel and moved to the door, unlocking then opening it and stepping into the doorway.

 

“One more thing,” Shane added, “I would very much like a tour of the ship. I have always admired the Venator, after all, Inquisitor.” As he spoke, he felt a pulse of indignation and disbelief in answer, and on the far side of her, a passing imperial soldier might have observed one of her eyebrows twitching as she stopped and stared at him incredulously a moment.

 

“Of course, Your Grace; you must be tired, after your ordeal, however,” she replied, as a pair of soldiers slipped past tentatively, giving her a wide berth, “Would tomorrow morning after breakfast be acceptable?” It grated on her to be forced into the awkward position of Inquisitor playing host to an untouchable Lord whom she knew to be a rebel spy. Even so, her desire for personal glory won out over her loyalty to the Empire, her desire to see him dead was less than her desire to kill him herself in true combat.

 

“Absolutely, Inquisitor, thank you,” Shane replied self-contentedly, watching her step back and the doors slide in from either side to obscure her from their sight. N’Haru went over and touched the same place she had, locking their doors firmly, as he leaned back against the wall and looked at his Master.

 

“Are you sure you want to try to place the device, Master?”

 

“Quite sure; she won’t kill us in so inglorious a manner as this, and she won’t let anyone else kill us except for herself,” Shane answered, and N’Haru nodded.

 

“I had that feeling, as well, Master,” N’Haru replied, before exploring their assigned chambers to learn that there were even showers, and machines to launder personal garments, “You know, I think this is the ship’s ambassadorial suite, or a suite for a princess, or… something.”

 

“Well, whatever the case,” Shane said, “I think we should take advantage of it, especially with her having disabled all the surveillance. You’re sure it wasn’t temporary?”

 

“Quite certain; she cannot have the room being surveilled and them learning anything untoward about either of us that would raise their suspicions,” N’Haru replied confidently, and Shane nodded.

 

“You shower and launder first, then,” Shane instructed. Once they had both bathed and laundered their clothes, sleep was indeed in the cards, even if it was the uncomfortable sleep of travelling on a ship literally filled with their enemies.

 

The following morning, they ate breakfast in a private dining area with the Mandalorians, who claimed to have gotten a phenomenal rest for their part, and seemed to be enviably truthful in the matter. Once the meal was finished, however, a small form darkened the doorway as the Inquisitor appeared and waited, already rippling with agitation at everything about the situation.

 

“What does Your Grace wish to see? I know you must have never been on a true warship, before, so perhaps all of it is fascinating?” came the barbed greeting, though he ignored her attempts to agitate them. Perhaps it was because of a lasting influence from the kasha crystals of their lightsabers even when they didn’t have them, or maybe they were just handling their emotions better. It was one thing to be in control of one’s emotions, it was quite another to simply lack emotion altogether, and they preferred Kazenna’s way to that, certainly.

 

“Indeed, Inquisitor, as a Lord of the Colonies I have never had need to set foot on an imperial warship,” he answered, turning her barb away vocally, sensing the faint twitch of agitation, “I think I would like to see the entire ship, if you’d be so kind. I realize this might take a day or two with such a large and magnificent vessel as this.” She twitched, but nodded as he and N’Haru moved to join her, and she proceeded to lead him about the ship, diverting into major parts of the vessel when didn’t let her slip past them with a hand-wave and a brief explanation.

 

By the time that Lord Thorius expressed a desire to see the central computer core, the Inquisitrix had a deadpan sort of expression on her face. She caught a hint of something, perhaps, as Shane and N’Haru stepped past her and entered the computer core, walking around quietly and seeming to be looking at almost everything. As he listened to one man at one station drone on about what their job was and so forth, a hand slipped into his pocket and closed around a small metal-and-silicon item. He leaned to one side as he listened, noting the computers came up to about two inches shorter than the wall in this area, and moved his hand into that crevasse while leaning forward in a more ‘interested’ posture.

 

“All right, everybody out,” the Inquisitor said abruptly, “Lord Thorius would like to see what computer control looks like on a new vessel before anyone has arrived.” Her interruption caused more than a few to jump as they filed out of the room promptly, including the one who had been explaining his work to Lord Thorius. As soon as it was emptied and the doors closed, the Inquisitor turned to him and crossed her arms.

 

“What the frack are you doing?”

 

“My job,” Shane replied simply.

 

“Yes, well, do it quickly and when there’s no one to see you do your job or else I won’t get the glory of killing you so much as the dubious honour of dying beside you,” she growled with irritation, and he rolled his shoulders and nodded, then turned and slid his hand between the computer and the wall. A faint hint of a click that even the Inquisitrix didn’t hear and the device was in place, before he stepped back and stood up once more.

 

“Don’t worry, it quietly self-dismantles in a few hours, nobody will even notice it,” Shane assured her, and she growled but nodded, leading them back out once more and then continuing their tour through the ship. The trip back to Belazura proved uneventful otherwise, despite the supreme discomfort of travelling aboard an actual Imperial warship as they were. Soon enough, however, the Venator’s hangar bay doors opened, and the Valiant slid free of the imperial vessel and then reentered the atmosphere of the Lord’s homeworld, bound for the family manse.

 

Once the doors of the Thorius Statehouse’s hangar bay closed, Kazenna and Windmere emerged, the latter of the two having travelled to the planet to affect the import of, primarily, ‘preferred foodstuffs to House Thorius.’

 

“An impressive performance,” Windmere said, before Groff stepped up to join him, producing a credit chip.

 

“I was wondering when you’d mention that,” Shane said, and Groff chuckled gruffly in answer.

 

“Amidst all the shooting, no one seemed to notice a chip with thirty million credits on it mysteriously disappearing in a firefight,” Groff replied, “A Black Sun examiner claimed it was legitimate, no tracer programs, and no cyberwarfare viruses. Of course, you’ll probably want someone back at intel to verify that independently before we use it, but…”

 

“…but a Lord’s ransom could buy much for the Alliance. Excellent work on the mission, all around; I don’t think that I want to know how you managed to place the device, but the information we’ve gained from it has told us a lot about Venator-class warships. How to beat them, how to take them, and how to modify our own to not have the weaknesses the Empire’s Venators have right now,” Windmere said, “the Alliance’s variant of the Venator is already in the process of widespread modification on worlds that have committed themselves to us, on the fringes of the galaxy and some a little nearer. What could you estimate about the fleet arrangements of the Black Sun and the Hutt Cartels?”

 

“The Hutts brought two Kossak-class Frigates, three DP20 Frigates, one Dreadnought-class Cruiser intended as where the Valiant would be docked in the hangar bay, twenty Nimbus-class V-wings, and ten M22-T Krayt Gunships,” Shane replied, remembering what the Mandalorians had told him of the enemies.

 

“It sounds as if they were looking to impress but not expecting a confrontation,” Windmere observed, “And the Black Sun?”

 

“Far more impressive; they arrived with two MC80 Liberty-class Star Cruisers, four AEG-77 Vigo’s, twenty Gozanti cruisers, sixteen Rihkxyrk-class fighters, sixteen Supa-class fighters, and forty Kihraxz-class fighters,” Shane replied, “the Hutts claimed they were there to escort us safely since the Empire couldn’t be bothered to do so.”

 

“Fascinating lie, but it’s good that the Black Sun is the one to draw the full ire of the Empire right now, if they could field a force like that to acquire Lord Thorius,” Windmere said, and Shane nodded.

 

“Do you think the Empire will expressly target the Black Sun syndicate for extermination now?”

 

“I think the Empire will launch a number of counteroffensives against the Black Sun for daring to kidnap an imperial nobleman,” Windmere replied, “albeit that might come with a bit of prodding from some of the nobility from the Core Worlds. Hearing that a Colonial Lord was abducted while travelling will put a lot of them on edge at the prospect that they might be abducted for imperial ransom, next, and that might compel them to demand action.”

 

“And that could cost the Empire precious resources they might need in the future in their fight with the Alliance,” he replied, and Windmere nodded.

 

“I need to head out now, my reason for being here is officially to deliver ‘preferred foodstuffs’ after all,” she replied, “some of them are delicacies that you might wish to share with someone. The mansion can certainly offer the needed privacy for that.” Shane smiled and nodded his appreciation, then made a note to see what delicacies had been brought, and locate somewhere that he could have those served to people who rarely had the occasion to enjoy such delights. He knew more than a few who had certainly earned it.


	20. Serenity

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Shane and his companions enjoy a bit of additional downtime while things are quiet...

On the following morning over breakfast, Shane’s thoughts turned toward what to do next, and it seemed Kazenna had an answer to that much.

 

“The Alliance wants us to relax for a few days; no stealth raids, no movement by Lord Thorius,” Kazenna said, “Also, Lady Wellen brought a considerable number of delicacies to _resupply House Thorius’ storehouses_. You are expected, as Lord of the House, to go check, to see what delicacies we may have acquired.” Shane nodded after finishing a fine breakfast of panna cakes, and then descended with his pet to the statehouse’s cellar and pantry. As he entered, Shane found a servant checking inventory, who turned and stood at respectful attention when the Lord of the House entered.

 

“Your Lordship,” the servant greeted, and Shane nodded.

 

“Give me a rundown on Lady Wellen’s deliveries,” he instructed, and received a nod in answer.

 

“Of course, my Lord; we have received each of the following food items in the volume of one crate: zog, carver egg, pinch beetle, spiced aric tongue, mulblatt larvae in fregon-blood sauce, buzzworm, trufflite, glubex, gizka steak, rancor rib, sandmaggot egg-sauce, Drutash grub, blight beetle, and spydr. Additionally, we have received two crates bearing wasaka-berry in the form of one crate of wasaka-berry pies and one crate of wasaka-berry pudding. Her ship delivered two crates each of the following food items: hawk-bat egg, hawk-bat steak, vaoloi, Chantilly crème, Lambro shark-steak, Domit pie, Varanta nectar, jewel-fruit, Verdian vine beans, Xachibik broth, Kashyyyk land shrimp, and blossom wine. Lastly, there are three crates each of chuntyck, pylat eggs, and elix steaks, as well as four crates of Trammistan chocolate for Your Lordship’s culinary pleasure,” the servant replied, providing a complete list of the delicacies Lady Windmere had delivered.

 

“Excellent. Thank you,” Shane replied, mentally noting that most of the one-crate items would be for Lady Kayla to decide whether those went to the entire house or if she happened to like them. None of it sounded especially appealing to Shane, but if Kayla liked them, he wasn’t going to deny his ‘mother’ the opportunity to have first selection of them. Some of the other foods, however, he knew from smelling them at some point or another on Bpfassh or had accustomed himself to once the Thorius Statehouse had become their base-of-operations. The next few days would be spent with a certain amount of culinary feasting on the delicacies provided, feasting in which the Mandalorians, N’Haru, and the varied household servants, would be invited to partake. Unlike the known nobility of the Empire, Shane was not one inclined to hoard these delicacies to himself, in the event that they might prove delectable to someone in his personal service, more-or-less. He elected to move next to where his ‘mother’ would be located, knocking lightly, entering only when she had indicated it was a comfortable moment to do so.

 

“Ah, Laine, is everything in order?” she asked, and he related the list of what had recently arrived.

 

“Are there any foods you like from the list of the one-crate items?”

 

“Not especially, no, but they are foods that a couple of your lovely acquisitions have expressed an interest in trying. I do not expect they will enjoy them, but there’ll be one crate available if they do otherwise we can easily allow anyone who does enjoy them to have the culinary pleasure it’ll represent. Also, of the two-crate items,” she answered, “Some of them are favourites, such as the wasaka-berry items, as well as the vine beans and the crème. You should also know, the body of a human woman has an interesting response to the combination of vaoloi, blossom wine, land shrimp, and jewel-fruit, when consumed within a sixteen-hour period. The physiological response markedly increases a woman’s fertility for between twelve and twenty hours, depending on the individual woman. If you should in the same period consume the combination of chuntyck, Varanta nectar, elix steaks, and Xachibik broth, it’s been noted to cause a spike in the virility of male humans which should last about eight to fourteen hours. It depends on the man, starting roughly an hour after you’ve eaten whichever of that combination you eat last.”

 

“Uh… well, thank you,” Shane replied, and she offered a matriarchal shoulder-roll.

 

“Your Lady Caine told me you two had made a… breeding arrangement, was it?” she replied, “I mean, it would be a lie to say I wouldn’t like grandchildren, adopted or otherwise.”

 

“Ah, she told you about that,” Shane nodded, “my girl expressed a desire to carry my children, and not exclusively in the interests of my cover identity and what benefits she might glean by that.” Albeit, he didn’t think she was especially interested in the benefits so much as her Master, now, but it would be nice if she still did in fact benefit from association with him in more than just the most obvious way.

 

“Yes, and if you are not averse to the idea, I would like to legally adopt you, so that when this war is over, you can be properly known as a Lord by proper name,” she replied, and he blinked a little bit in surprise at the offer.

 

“Are you sure about that? I am not of the same bloodline,” he replied, and she rolled her shoulders.

 

“It would be the end of House Thorius, unless you elected to change your name, but I would rather House Thorius to become House Morris, than to have the statehouse claimed by someone undeserving. You may not have been born of Thorius blood, but you possess the same noble spirit we prize, and you demonstrate the same virtue and quality we’ve strove to inspire in other nobles across the galaxy for centuries.”

 

“I see; well, if you desire it, we could certainly do that, though I hope you understand that I could not call you mother elsewhere but in public,” Shane answered, and she nodded.

 

“I understand, I was … informed, of the unfortunate events surrounding the loss of your parents, and your boy’s also, so I would naturally not expect to replace your mother. It would be more than sufficient to be the grandmother to your children, or at least, the one grandmother they are able to know,” she replied, and Shane nodded. It was a reasonable request, after all, and the idea of having children who would bear the certitude of having a grandmother would likewise be a desirable trait for them. A child never suffered from having one more person in their life who would love them.

 

“That sounds most excellent, to me, Kayla,” Shane assured her, and she smiled, “For now, I think I will need to instruct the cook that for the next few days, all meals are to be made with the newly delivered crates. Would you be comfortable with allowing me to familiarize myself more with the history and finances of the family?”

 

“Of course, since you will be family by law soon enough, and not merely by cover, though to familiarize with it would certainly help with the latter, I imagine,” she replied. He agreed, in his own mind at least, that it would benefit him if he absolutely had to discuss the family’s history or finances, it would seem odd if Laine Thorius were raised oblivious to both situations. He excused himself, and then proceeded to deliver instructions to the household cooks about what they should prepare for the midday meal, and the special meal instructions for himself and Lady Caine. Once that was done, he set out with N’Haru in tow, to locate his other boy, Hollis, who turned out to be quite easily tracked down as he had developed a fondness for a certain room. It boasted of a grand window that looked out on the beautiful mountain chain in which the Thorius Statehouse was located, though he looked over his shoulder when he heard movement, and smiled at his Master.

 

“Ah, good morning, Master. I like this room,” he said, having come here following a shared breakfast, when his Master and chief slave had gone to the pantry and cellar to check on stocking.

 

“So I’ve heard,” Shane replied with a bit of a smile as he looked about the room. It was one of the mansion’s four so-called ‘great rooms,’ which could be refurnished to serve a number of purposes. As such, it rarely had actual furnishing in it that remained in at all times; it was simply a very large room with a very fine view of some very lovely mountains. The carpeted chamber was unsuitable for some purposes because of the plush carpeting that covered the floor in a fine shade of dark blue of which Shane deeply approved, and it had come to be Hollis’ favourite. Shane was himself now considering what he might even do with four such chambers whenever the woman soon to become his legal mother, decided to pass official authority over the manse to him. Presently, the room was modified to accommodate Hollis, at least slightly, with a set of comfortable seats before the window and some small serving tables for beverages and simpler foods.

 

As Shane paused a moment to admire the view, Hollis rose to his feet and crossed over to where his Master was, and waited patiently for his Master’s instruction. He was dressed nicely, with a pair of black pants and black vest, a braided black leather belt with a nickel buckle and a half-sleeved white dress shirt underneath the vest. The older male currently also wear a pair of white stockings, though Shane wasn’t certain how far up his legs they went, but had taken to simply foregoing shoes if he didn’t need them.

 

“You look good, pet,” Shane praised, before walking over to the windows, looking at his boys over his shoulders and motioning the doors, “Lock the doors.” Then, he touched a tall, narrow touchscreen, sliding his finger down from the top, the windows slowly tinting as he did so, diminishing the light in the room but also greatly impeding the ability of someone outside to see in. It allowed privacy without obstructing the view quite as much as frosted glass did, and then he turned back to his boys as they locked the room’s two separate entrances, before turning subserviently back toward him. He motioned them to him as he moved toward the centre of the room, where he kissed each of his slaves firmly, passionately, for a few brief moments each, starting with N’Haru. As he broke the kiss with Hollis, his eyes travelled downward then up to make eye contact once more, and Hollis lowered obediently onto his knees.

 

“Clothes off, boy,” Shane admonished when his kneeling boy’s hands rose toward his hips, “and then you’ll help your superior out of his clothes before you touch Mine.” He could sense the arousal and happiness in his standing boy, and the arousal and lust of his kneeling one, at the instructions. Hollis divested himself quickly of garments, looking up at his Master as he reached for his toes, but Shane shook his head to indicate he should keep his knee-high white stockings on. As he nodded, N’Haru tapped the kneeling older boy’s temple, and Hollis quickly started to unbuckle his belt, as he knelt in front of the senior slave.

 

“Quickly, slut,” N’Haru urged, sending a shiver of arousal through Hollis that was easily palpable to both of them, as fingers hastened in removing the belt, then unbuttoning and unzipping his pants. Then he lowered himself to unbuckle the older slave’s boots and remove them before pulling N’Haru’s pants and smallclothes down and off. He rose slowly to remove the clothes on N’Haru’s upper body, then quickly collected and folded all garments, placing them onto the small tables neatly before helping his Master from his upper garments then kneeling in front of him. N’Haru’s cock already stood erect, rock-hard and ready to be attended by the lesser slave, as Hollis removed their Master’s shoes and then unbuckled His belt, before unbuttoning and unzipping his pants. As his pants were lowered, Shane’s cock slipped free and slapped lightly against the side of Hollis’ face, his cheeks colouring the faintest hint of a blush as he kept his eyes on his Master’s until Shane stepped out of his pants and smallclothes. Hollis moved promptly to fold the garments and set them aside, before returning to a kneeling position in front of his Master and the alpha-slave, where he leaned instinctively toward N’Haru, extending his tongue and licking from base to tip.

 

“Good boy,” Shane praised, as Hollis’ eyes remained locked on his Master’s until he received confirmation, at which point he turned all attention on that shaft of light grey in front of him. He licked once more, from base to tip along a different line, kissing the tip gently before starting to alternate between licks and kisses as strong grey fingers wound themselves into light blond hair.

 

“Yeah, that’s a good little bitch. You like it, don’t you? Sucking my cock for Master?” came His boy’s question as he arched his hips against the boy’s mouth, “Worshiping my cock like it’s an altar, you’re such a little slut, aren’t you?” Hollis moaned softly in arousal against his cock as he continued to lick and kiss at it worshipfully, enhancing N’Haru’s pleasure until the Bpfassh couldn’t resist, pulling back and yanking on his hair, driving himself to the hilt down Hollis’ anxious throat.

 

“Mm, you eager little cock-whore,” N’Haru praised, beginning to ride the boy’s mouth slowly and firmly, pushing his head down in sync with the movement, keeping it at the pace he wanted it. He had a feeling his Master would be doing this for him later, too, but he didn’t get to be physically in control of that like he did right now. It was nice, being the one to take his pleasure from a willingly subservient partner, but belonging to Shane as His possession was still what made him happiest in life. He arched his spine as he pushed into Hollis’ mouth, forcing the young nobleman to take it to the hilt, sighing in pleasure as he felt the boy’s tongue cradling and caressing his rod and felt the vibrations of a soft and lustful whimpering on it. For nearly twenty minutes, he savoured the sensation, before pulling back and unloading into Hollis’ mouth, filling it with his release until the kneeling male’s tongue swam in what his Master described as a honeysweet nectar.

 

“Mm, that’s a good little bitch,” N’Haru praised, pulling his hair to force Hollis’ mouth off his cock, while the kneeling boy swallowed and looked up, until his head was forced back down again, “Now suck Master’s Cock you little slut.” Shane’s Cock slid to the hilt in Hollis’ mouth as N’Haru forced him onto it, pushing until his head wouldn’t slide any further down it, holding him there a second before letting go of his hair and moving to his clothes. He reached into his pants and pulled out a small phial of vegetable oil he carried with him anytime they were in the statehouse, in case his Master might wish some fun somewhere other than the bedchamber, but where there was sufficient privacy.

 

He watched Hollis’ head rise and fall on their Master’s Cock, watched his Master’s Hands wriggle into that blond hair and get a good grip before He started to hammer the boy’s mouth fast and hard, as he oiled his own shaft. He moved to get behind Hollis, then, sliding his oiled cock into that ass as Hollis was subjected to an especially hard thrust from their Master, his eyes widening as he felt himself taken from behind, as well.

 

“Mm!” the boy moaned in arousal as he felt himself being taken, body arching subserviently to allow both to take him for their pleasure. His moans increased in volume as they hammered him from both ends, and N’Haru grasped his hips tightly as he fucked him fast and hard, able to last much longer at such a pace than most.

 

“Ready, pet?” asked Shane, looking at his alpha slave after nearly ten minutes, and N’Haru nodded quickly in answer. Shane tightened his fingers and pulled away, sliding his cock out of the boy’s mouth, jizz splattering his face rapidly as the older male’s eyes closed fast. As his Master painted the boy’s face, N’Haru slid out of his ass and circled around, waiting as his Master wiped the last drops on the bridge of Hollis’ nose before moving around him. Then, Shane took hold of his hips and thrust to the hilt, and when Hollis arched and released a gasping moan, N’Haru took hold of his hair and forced him to take his cock to the hilt once more. This time, he fucked the boy’s mouth hard and fast, taking his pleasure in muffling the boy’s moans as their Master hammered that ass.

 

“You like this, you little whore? Sucking lots of cock, drinking my jism like a common slut?” demanded N’Haru, and a loud moan and a pulse of nymphic lust radiated from him in answer. Hollis’ frame bounced hard between them as they fucked him in tandem, each thrust from one sending him swaying onto the other’s cock for nearly thirty minutes before Shane stopped the movement and held it at the hilt. N’Haru slowed his own until he attained a second release of his own, filling the boy’s mouth with more of his cum as their Master’s Seed flooded into his ass. Shane patted his rump gently as he slid himself free, sliding his hand around to grab the boy’s cock in his hand, soliciting an arching whimper as he instinctively swallowed N’Haru’s release while the grey shaft slid from his mouth.

 

“Ohh, Master!”

 

“You like that, you little slut?” came Shane’s answer, as N’Haru pulled the boy’s hair, forcing him to rise on his knees, then lowering the cum-splattered bitch toward the floor onto his back.

 

“Yes, Master,” he whimpered as he was soon laid on his back with his legs apart, his Master’s Hand wrapped around his shaft.

 

“Eat Master’s Cum you little bitch,” N’Haru ordered, and Shane slipped into a position between his pet’s legs as Hollis cleaned his face off, swallowing each time his fingers slid into his mouth.

 

“You want some pleasure for yourself, slut?” asked Shane, and Hollis looked toward his Master with a blushing hint of a nod, and Shane grinned a little bit, “You’re awfully hard, aren’t you, boy?”

 

“Mm-hmm!” whimpered Hollis in answer; Shane suspected it was probably painfully hard at that.

 

“Do you like to be sucked, pet?”

 

“Y-Yes, Master, but…”

 

“Do you like it like I do, fast and hard, or like my other boy, slow and sweet?”

 

“Slow, Master,” he swallowed nervously, watching his Master’s Head lower, arching with a blush and a soft whimper of pleasure as he felt his Master’s Tongue travelling up his length, “Master, I… mmm…” He started as N’Haru knelt over him, and pushed his nuts into the lesser slave’s mouth, holding his lips shut and forcing him to suck them.

 

“Shut up and enjoy it you little slut,” N’Haru ordered, as their Master wrapped His Lips around the tip and slid down on it. Hollis whimpered and arched subserviently, gently nursing on N’Haru’s balls as their Master’s Lips slowly slid down his cock, blushing as his Owner took him to the hilt what felt like effortlessly. He watched the boy’s fingers as they clutched the carpet and his body arched and shivered in arousal, before turning his attention to watch with renewed arousal as his Master sucked the boy’s rod. He pulled his nuts gently out of the boy’s mouth then rolled his hips back and then forward again, pushing his cock into the boy’s mouth and throat yet again. This time, he synchronized himself to his Master’s Pace on the boy’s cock, pushing his cock into Hollis’ mouth at the same rate as the boy’s length was sliding into their Master’s Mouth.

 

Hollis sucked enthusiastically on the cock in his mouth for the third time, but N’Haru largely ignored him, only holding the boy stable as he rode his mouth. Instead, his mind wandered as he watched his Master suck cock, remembering all the times his Master sucked him, riding that mouth firmly as he felt a surge of thankfulness to be Owned by a Master of such quality as his. It was something he had in common with Lora, it turned them both on to watch their Owner’s Mouth filling with cock, watching their Master pleasure one of His slaves. As Hollis pulsed, Shane’s lips slid up across the length of him and let his boy pulsed into his mouth, drinking it as his boy emptied onto his Master’s Tongue, then squeezing the last drops of it out and swallowing one last time.

 

“Mm, my boy eats healthy, does he?” asked Shane as he watched N’Haru finishing in the boy’s mouth, the muscles of the older boy’s throat working as he drank it until N’Haru withdrew.

 

“Master,” Hollis murmured, as his mouth was vacated once more, “that was…”

 

“What you can expect for being a good boy, Hollis,” Shane interjected, “I take care of my pets.”

 

“Yes, Master. Thank You, Master,” Hollis answered, and Shane smiled before moving to get dressed.

 

“Just remember, you little whore,” N’Haru said as he took the boy’s hands and pulled him gently to his feet, “That is the only mouth that’s ever to be on your cock other than mine. It is Master’s role to tend to you, and your job is to let me have your cock anytime I want it in my mouth.”

 

“Yes, Sir,” Hollis answered reflexively, and N’Haru smiled, tousling his hair affectionately, liking it that Hollis called him that.

 

“Good boy. You should address him as Sir from now on, when we are alone or when your equal, Lora, is in the room,” Shane instructed as he buckled his belt once more, “I will instruct that she should do so, as well. He will be Sir to you both.”

 

“Yes, Master,” Hollis answered, much to N’Haru’s pleasure, as the three of them redressed, before Shane straightened Hollis’ hair, stroking his mane gently back into place.

 

“Good boy. Now, we’re having many fine foods for lunch, today. I don’t know if they’re all lunchtime delicacies, but there’s a laundry-list of exotic eats which Lady Thorius indicated you and Lora were curious to try. It will be a veritable banquet of imported culinary delights of which I expect you to take ample sample of each item,” seeing as he certainly wasn’t going to, “Lora and I, have other meal arrangements, but I will expect her to take a sample as well.”

 

“Of course, Master, and with pleasure!” assured Hollis, even before knowing what was on the menu. Shane nodded, and motioned back toward the windows.

 

“If you wish to remain here until lunch, you are welcome to do so, pet. You needn’t follow me everywhere,” he said, and Hollis nodded his understanding, “I am going to be in the library for the next two or three hours, anyhow. I want you to think about what you would like to do with this room, as far as what sort of purpose you would like to give it, if I were to grant you that privilege.”

 

“Yes, Master,” Hollis said, watching as his Master and the alpha-slave both left the room, then moved to unlock the other door and reverse the tinting of the windows.

 

At lunch, the chefs had prepared a banquet of foods that Shane had no interest whatsoever in touching, though he was satisfied with his own dish. Accompanied by a tall glass of Varanta nectar, it was served with a small bowl of Xachibik broth and an elix steak, giving him several of the ingredients to Kayla’s mentioned organic cocktail in one meal. Lora, for her part, received a plate with a split and deshelled jewel-fruit and a similarly split and deshelled serving of vaoloi, accompanied by a glass of blossom wine, ensuring three-quarters of Kayla’s recommendation.

 

“Master, why do we have specific servings instead of the buffet of the others?” asked Lora as she took her seat, sitting across from her Owner with a shy smile.

 

“A recommendation from Lady Kayla, something to help with our efforts to have children; she also indicated I’ll need to have a serving of chuntyck and you’ll need to have a serving of land-shrimp. There is time for that at dinner,” Shane replied, and she nodded a little as she looked at the broad selection of other foods, “I’ll tell you what, you clear your plate and then you can go try the other things with Hollis, all right?” Every servant in the manse was being granted an opportunity today, tomorrow, and the next day, to eat richly and experience tastes from around the galaxy that would normally be reserved for nobility. Even the Mandalorian marines were given the opportunity, the crates being rather large, and Shane had ordered that every seat was to have a small piece of paper with simple instructions printed on it. Each person was to check off which foods they tried, and then on a line beside that, write a number between one and ten defining how much they liked it, with a ten being considered ‘delicious’ and one being considered ‘never again.’

 

An average Lord didn’t care about the culinary preferences of his guards or servants, but Shane had lived most of his life up until this point as a homeless orphan. He knew how much it sucked to smell enchanting, intriguing foods, and not be allowed to have so much as a bite or in many cases to even see the food being eaten. The buffet offered several of the foods that had come in as single crates: pinch beetle, blight beetle, buzzworm, mulblatt larvae in fregon-blood sauce, sandmaggot egg-sauce, and Drutash grub. The chefs had taken to calling it a ‘buggy buffet,’ and it seemed that term was going to stick since all the delicacies being served happened to be insects, other than what was on the plates of Shane and Lora, at least. N’Haru was taking an active approach to the experiment, not shying from nearly as much as his Master was… politely declining to consider, at all.

 

For her part, Lora drank her wine and he drank his nectar, digging into their respective meals, though Lora ate slightly on the swifter side, leaving and returning with a plate of insects. Shane was thankful that it was hard for him to lose his appetite based on what people were eating around and directly across from him, but he cleared his plate easily and drained the bowl of hot broth that made him feel like he might exhale fire. His last drink of the Varanta nectar helped, however, and left the glass empty as he leaned back and watched a few dozen people eating with some self-satisfaction.

 

“Master, would You …”

 

“No, thank you, pet, I’m quite happy with saying I’ve never eaten beetle,” Shane replied as he politely held a hand up when Lora attempted to offer him a bite. He couldn’t tell if it was pinch or blight, but he could tell for certain it wasn’t anything that was going through his lips or into his throat. She nodded and ate it herself, as she cleared her plate from her second serving, though he noticed that she didn’t make a beeline for a second helping of insect, so he assumed it couldn’t have been fabulous. He was a little impressed that the Mandalorians seemed to go for second helpings of just about everything, even mixing and matching on their second plate in some cases by drizzling the egg-sauce over grubs and both kinds of beetles. Once everyone was done, and the room mostly emptied as the chefs cleared the room, Shane moved to collect the papers, sitting back down as he looked through them.

 

_Jundo Ruus_ , Shane read, mentally going through it and identifying it in his mind as the Mandalorian pilot, a handsome fellow if you could get him to take off all that armour, or at least the helmet.

 

_Pinch Beetle                                                        ̷         6_

_Blight Beetle                                                       ̷         7_

_Mulblatt Larvae in Fregon-Blood Sauce               ̷         5_

_Sandmaggot Egg-Sauce                                     ̷         6_

_Drutash Grub                                                     ̷         5_

_Buzzworm                                                         ̷         5_

He was surprised to see how high the numbers were, though he also noticed that every Mandalorian had offered similar numbers on the subject. Not an exquisitely delicious rapture for the taste buds, but they would happily eat it anytime it was offered, was the feeling he got about their numbers. The numbers were significantly lower on the entries of the rest, though, as he noticed the entries from the twins.

 

_S’Kara Irfanth_

_Pinch Beetle                                                     ǂ         2_

_Blight Beetle                                                    ǂ        2_

_Mulblatt Larvae in Fregon-Blood Sauce            ǂ         1_

_Sandmaggot Egg-Sauce                                  ǂ         1_

_Drutash Grub                                                  ǂ         2_

_Buzzworm                                                      ǂ         1_

 

Her twin brother’s was identical to hers, and most of their fellow Bpfasshi had rendered similar judgments, he noticed, as had the vast majority of the staff. A couple servants from the cleaning staff indicated they didn’t much like any one item, but that the sandmaggot egg-sauce served over a combination of the grubs and both types of beetles, would make for a satisfactory snack. Shane made a note of that in a small journal he’d plucked from the library, writing down their names and their indications, as well as the names of all ten of the Mandalorians, whom he listed for future reference as enjoying these exotic delicacies. Once he was done, he rose and went to the servants who maintained the kitchens, pantry, cellar, and cupboards, instructing that the remnants of the crates opened at this meal were to be made available to the Mandalorians.

 

“Also, Oma and Soren from the cleaning staff enjoyed platters of the grubs and beetles with a drizzle of egg-sauce on them, so see to it that they receive fair service on that,” Shane instructed the servants, who only nodded, mayhap a bit bewildered at the charity, though he wasn’t too concerned. In time, they would learn that he was an altogether different sort, even more generous and kindhearted than Lady Thorius, which said a lot for him since she was by no means the stingy sort, herself. Once his instructions had been heard and acknowledged, Shane turned and headed out, trailed by his boys and his girl, as he and N’Haru went to the training room that had been set up in a hidden portion of the manse, to meet with Kazenna. It was important to keep up their combat training, after all, and they would train hard between lunch and dinner, even if bug for lunch had not given Kazenna or N’Haru much that needed to be burnt off by rigorous physical activity. He had noted that she’d put a one on everything, indicating she’d rather skip a meal than to eat any of those items ever again; still, he admired that she’d tried them where he’d refused to even consider trying it. He had kindly abstained from commenting on the low numbers Lora and Hollis had given to the entire array of foods, as well.

 

“I noticed that you didn’t try any of the day’s special menu, Shane,” Kazenna said as she pressed in on him with her blades, training one-on-one with him. As he blocked both strikes with his own weapons, their bodies drew close up to one another as she pushed on him aggressively; he felt his bare feet sliding slowly back across the training floor.

 

“My girl and I are attempting to have a baby, Kayla had special recommendations for what to eat to boost our chances,” Shane replied, “and she may have been intrigued to try it all, but I was not. None of it looked like anything I wanted to eat, though some of it looked like things N’Haru and I have both eaten before.”

 

“Oh?” asked Kazenna, as she leapt backward when he countered, evading his counterattack as he then pressed forward and capitalized on the advantage.

 

“Arrived on Bpfassh when I was eight,” Shane answered, “parents were killed by imperial soldiers when I was nine; I was stranded on a planet where the only other humans wanted to shoot me and the locals were only slightly friendlier. For six years, I hunted like a snap-tongued gecko, living on a diet of vaulting rock-ant, tawny sand-beetle, glimmering night-beetle, and desert ghost-scorpion.” As he spoke, Kazenna extracted herself long enough to respond to the news, more than either of them had shared about their history before.

 

“I’m sorry, that couldn’t have been a good time in your life,” Kazenna answered, but Shane shook his head.

 

“N’Haru went through worse; his parents were killed when he was five, and he was on his own from that point onward, living the same way until we met each other,” Shane continued, looking over at his pet at about the same moment that Kazenna did so.

 

“We both came through sand and flame to be here, Master,” N’Haru answered magnanimously, “You suffered through the same hardships. It’s hardly relevant that I endured them longer, all that matters is what, not for how long.”

“You both weathered it well,” said Kazenna after a moment’s thought, “I think you’ve both earned the right to decide what you won’t consider eating, under the circumstances. The Mandalorians may have trained to eat it and enjoy what food was available, but you two survived a deadly environment where the streets and the sands were your orphanage.” As she spoke, she narrowed, though, and resumed training the human of her pupils, while N’Haru waited for his own turn on the mat. The remainder of the training session passed in relatively smooth silence, as she switched from training with Shane to training with N’Haru, and rested while she had them run through a shadowboxing sequence that allowed them to hone certain duet techniques.

 

For about an hour before dinner, Kazenna alternated between ten minutes of training and ten minutes of resting, taking the role of opponent as she honed their double act in near combat. After the third of their ten-minute sequences, they excused themselves to the showers to rinse and changed back into their casual clothes. Then, they returned to the same room, where new papers were laid out and a new menu was provided for most of those present: zog, trufflite, glubex, carver egg, spiced aric tongue, rancor rib, gizka steak, and ghost spider. His own meal, however, consisted of a large glass of Varanta nectar, Xachibik broth, and chuntyck, while His girl’s first serving would consist of land shrimp, split and deshelled jewel-fruit, and a tall, narrow glass of blossom wine.

 

“You’re welcome to sample the other things once you’ve finished this,” Shane promised, though he was as disinclined to try most of the dinner menu, as he was the lunch menu. He did note the carver eggs looked like they might be good, however, especially as they had been hard-boiled and peeled of their crisped shells. Over the course of the meal, Shane also found he needed a refill or two on his nectar, because eating chuntyck and Xachibik broth in the same sitting was a rather fiery proposition for his throat. If it would assist in granting His girl a child, and by association granting Lady Kayla a grandchild, he certainly didn’t mind feeling like he’d swallowed lava for a couple hours.

 

Once he had finished what he wanted to eat, he tried a carver egg and discovered it to be something he’d enjoy having occasionally, and had a couple additional eggs. When the room drained of people, he collected the papers again, where he found the Mandalorians had again given everything between 5 and 7 points, though the carver eggs had received a 9 from virtually all of them. He was hardly surprised, though he noted almost everyone else put a score of one beside almost everything else, save for three items on the menu. Almost universally, he noted the spiced aric tongue received between 2 and 5 points, the rancor rib received between 3 and 5 points, and the carver eggs earned between 8 and 10 points from virtually everyone.

 

“Well, seems like the Mandalorians will eat anything, so we’ll just attempt to keep everything in stock for at least one crate, when we can get it at a reasonable price. We will apparently need to be alert for when the carver eggs are able to be bought at an unusually low price per crate,” Shane said, freshly familiarized with the family’s finances, “Glad it worked out that we found something good from the experimental foods arrangement. Perhaps we’ll experiment again after the New Year, see what else people may like, pet.” As he spoke, he marked things down in the journal that he’d picked up, scrawling food journal across the front in handsome letters, though by no means exquisite cursive lettering, eyes remaining on his girl. Lora took it as an instruction that whenever he was away, she was to use the food journal to inform their more expensive food purchases, pay attention to some foods that might be considered delicacies that happened to not be on the list anywhere.

 

“Understood, Master,” Lora replied, as her Master put the small journal into a large pocket. As he walked out of the sub-level’s greater dining hall, he headed in the direction of one of the great-rooms in the manse, where they could sit and relax. As they entered the same room where Shane and N’Haru had enjoyed Hollis’ handsome form, Shane took a moment to tint the windows fully before he took a seat. This allowed N’Haru to sit as well, without anyone knowing that Laine Thorius encouraged his slave to relax and enjoy the many luxuriant comforts in their new surroundings.

 

“So have you thought of what purpose you would want to put this room to, Hollis?” asked Shane as he turned his eyes toward the newer of his two boys, his most recent acquisition. The great room itself boasted of a five-and-a-half-metre ceiling, running twelve and a half metres from north to south and eight and a half metres from the east windows to the doors into the hall on the opposite side. It was a spacious chamber and it could be furnished easily to suit a number of potential purposes, thought he question was what kind of furnishing would his pretty boy want if it were his to decide?

 

“I was thinking perhaps a game room with some extra chairs for relaxing, looking out the window at the stars and the mountains, that sort of thing. A billiard table, plus a table for playing cards, stuff like that, would that be okay, Master?”

 

“Sure, go ahead,” Shane said in answer, with a bit of a nod of affirmation to let his boy know his idea was acceptable.

 

“Thanks, Master. I think it’ll look really nice, and it’ll make any potential celebrations here a little bit more diverse,” Hollis answered, with a subservient and appreciative smile for his Owner. It wasn’t an unreasonable proposition, so it was something Shane was more than happy to allow, besides which it might allow him to learn more of the games the members of nobility liked to play, which could be important at some point. He sat with his pets for a couple of hours, looking out the windows and admiring the view of the mountains as the sunset turned into starry nightfall.

 

“All right, I think it is time for Me to return to My chambers with My girl,” Shane said, glancing toward N’Haru, who rose to accompany his Master, waiting as Shane kissed Hollis’ lips gently to bid his second boy a good night, before leaving to head to his chambers. It was time to see if Lady Thorius was accurate in her words about improved fertility and improved virility, even if it would undoubtedly take a while before Lora knew whether she was actually pregnant.


End file.
